The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-30
VILLA PROCLA|MS
GENERAL ANGELES
MEXICAN LEADER
Anti-Carranza Soldiers Sup
port Noted Chieftain as
Provisional President With
Villa Himself as Secretary.

WASHINGTON, May SO.-villa forces
have proclaimed Gen. Felipe Angeles
provisional president OF Mexico. and
Villa himself, secretary Of war. The
move coming at the climax OF military
operations considered by the Carranza
government so serious that 1t has asked
the United States for permission to
move troops through Texas, New Mex
leo and Arizona, is regarded here as
rejecting a situation more serious than
any since the triumph of CarranLa
FORCES over villa three years ago,
viewed In connection with the activ-
tiles OF the Felicista forces in South
ern Mexico, the situation Is regarded
as full of possibilities. american gov
rnmen officials are refusing to COM
ment on the news until they receive
OFFICIAL confirmation. There seems,
however, to be no doubt OF its anthem
ticity.
Angeles reported first proclamation
announcing that Americans In Mexico
would be protected Is particularly in
teresting to officials here, coming as
does, on the heels of the refusal Of
the state department to grant Carran-
za's request that he be allowed to move
troops through American territory for
the purpose of protecting Americans
In Chihuahua, Acting Secretary Polk
announced yesterday he had notified
he Mexican government he could not
grant the request unless u
could be given that Americans would
be afforded protection while the troops
were In transit. That this could not
be done had been admitted previously
by the Mexican authorities. Gov. Hob
by, of Texas, declined to authorize the
passage OF Mexican troops through
Texas without guarantees of protection
to Americans and so notified the state
department.
Known in u. S.
Felipe Angeles is well known to
American officials through his services
to the French government during the
european wal as inspector OF NUM-
lions in the United States, He is held
In high esteem by the French govern
ment, and was considered by the United
States government, at the time of the
Niagara Falls conference, the best Sc
lection for the Mexican presidency. At
this conference three names were
agreed upon by the representatives of
the various Mexican factions and the
United States presented a list of suit
able presidential possibilities. Angeles
name headed that list.
Angeles Is about % years old and
Is q full -blooded Mexican Indian, as
were Porfiro Diaz and Huerta- He Is
a graduate of Chapultepeo Military
academy, the West Point of Mexico
and of the st. Cyr Artillery school In
France. He was head of Chapultepec
under Madero, who chose Angeles to go
to Morelos and conduct the campaign
hagainst Zapata.
Angeles quickly saw that the Zapa-
tistas were not genuine revolutionists,
b were fighting. for the restoration
of the lands that had been taken from
their fathers by Diaz, January, 1919,
the fighting In Morelos had practically
ceased and Angeles was ready to make
a peace with Zapata by which the In
dams should be granted their lands.
In February, however, the ten days
Of tragedy" began in Mexico City when
the army revolted against Madero. Ii
was admitted at the time that Of all
Of the forces fighting against the re-
voting army, Angeles did the best
work.
When the coup d'erat came and Ma
dero was imprisoned and Huerta de-
clared himself provisional president,
Angeles refused to come In with his
army. He was arrested and sentenced
to death by Huerta. Through the eff
forts OF Manuel Caiero, former secre-
United States under Madero, a court
order was. secured releasing Angeles
from prison. Huerta Their sent him
to Paris ito continue his studies"
Later Angeles returned to Mexico
through the United States with the
assistance OF American officials who
were then supporting the "constitu-
tionalist revolution conducted by Car
ranza and Villa.