Evening star., 1919-04-06
BANQUET MENACE
TO CARRANzA RULE
Generals Return to Mexico
Regarded by Many as Fore
runner of Trouble.
MAY BRING VILLA TO FORE

The reported arrival of Gen. Aurelio
Banquet in the southern part of Vera
Cruz. with several other officers OF the
eX-federal army in Mexico. has causee
considerable commotion in Mexican
circles. although supporters Of the
Carranza government are disposed to
minimize the Importance of the incl
dent. Those who are familiar with
the general situation. however, are
disposed to see in Banquet formida-
BILE opponent TO President Carranza's
control. and point out that Blanquet's
great prestige among the officers and
soldiers of the OLD Diaz regime will
certainly attract to his standard vast
numbers of recruits and add much en-
thuSiasm to the revolutionary party
headed by Gen. Felix Diaz, nephew or
the late President Porfirio Diaz.
Gen. banquet was commander OF
Mexicos most famous regiment under
the Diaz government, the so-called
29th Battalion. which was regarded as
next to invincible. Banquet rose from
the ranks. having Joined the Mexican
army under Juarez in 1863. and when
the Emperor Maximilian was made
prisoner. together With his two gem
erals, Mejia and Miramon, it was
Sergt. BlanQuet. commanding the fr-
ing squad. who gave the coup de-
81 ace to the Inflated monarch.
Conspired With Huerta.
Tn February. 1918. during the
"decena tragica" (or tragic ten dass)
! in Mexico City. when Gen. Reyes and
Diaz inaugurated revolutionary
movement to overthrow Madero.
: d. vrit
conspired with Huerta, the federal
comma nder. to make the president a
prisoner in order that they might
establish regime of their own. 1t
was Banquet, as result of his con-
ference with Huerta, who ordered the
arrest of President Madero. and he is
said to have been one OF the prime
movers in advocating his assassina-
tion two days later.
| Banquet became minister OF war in
the Huerta government. and fed the
country in July, 1914. when Carranza
was about to take the capital. Since
that time he has resided in Spain and
New York.
The arrival of Banquet in Mexico
may force the Carranza government.
the aid of Gen. Francisco Villa, who
now controls practically all of Chi
huahua and Durango. in northern
f, Mexico. with the exception of the
larger CllleS. anu WHO uuuOuplcQiy
can srouse more enthusiasm than any
other leader in the republic. especially
since Gen. Felipe Angeles, Mexico's
! most noted professional soldier, has
| lately become his chief of staff. and.
/ it is commonly believed. will inspire
his policy from this time on.
Villa to Make Disclosures.
In Latin American diplomatic cir
| cles it is known that Gen. Villa in
! tends. in the near future, to make a
| very important announcement to the
people of the United States. denying
that he had the least concern in the
so-called Columbus rad or in the
4! Santa Ysabei assacre. in which
| many American lost their lives, and
which was one of the causes of the
PerShing expedition. Gen. Villa will
! disclose the fact that, when the CO.
| lumbus raid took place, he was more
/ than 100 miles from the border. suffer-
! ing from a wound in the leg. and that
| those who were responsible for the
! raid had not, for a considera BILE period,
| been attached to his command, and
/ that he knew nothing whatsoever con-
corning their whereabouts.
4 Furthermore. he will show that, as
a matter of fact, at least four of the
Americans who were killed in the San
Ia Ysabel affair were very intimate
1 friends of his, men whom he had
/ known for many years and to whom he
/ was accustomed to give aid and pro-
\ lection, and that he has punished all
/ Of the responsible parties whom he
! could capture.
| 1t is understood that Gen. Villa has
remained silent so long because he
believed the Wilson administration
would so distort anything that he
might say as to make ii unbelievable.
justifying himself on the ground thai
after he had given every possible pro-
lection to American interests in Mex
leo this government recognized the
Carranza faction. which WAS he
claims, pro-German. while he and his
followers were not only friendly to
the United States, but were anti-Ger-
man.