Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-22
Carranza Became
Mexican Ruler BY
Force of Arms
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
Venustiano Carranza, elected pres
ident of Mexico on March IL, 1917,
by the largest vote ever cast in a
presidential election in his country,
stepped from political obscurity to
national and international promi-
nence on the graves of the hopes Of
Con. Victoriano Huerta. the usurper,
and his followers.
simultaneously with General Huer-
ta's coup d. etat and the assassina-
ton OF President Madero. the news
went out to the world that Gen.
Venustiano Carranza, elected COVER
nor Of the state Of Coahuila in 1911,
refused to recognize the .usurper and
would resist him by force of arms.
"Madero's revolution was political"
Carranza Is quoted as having said.
Mine 10 q social one"
Born Of parents in comfortable cir
'cumstances in Cuatro Ctenagas,
state of Coahuila, Dec. 20. 1863, Ven.
ustiano Carranza was educated In
the public schools of his native state
and later studied law at the Mexican
capital. When no was admitted to
the bar, however, affection of the
eyes prevented him from practicing
and he returned 10 his native state
to become a rancher. His experiences
as rancher first, then as judge,
senator and finally governor Of Goa
hula, made Carranza familiar with
the agrariap problem. the root OF
political unrest In Mexico.
Won Villas Support.
Having defied Huerta, Carranza
rallied q small band of 600 follow
ers which grew into sizable army
when he won the support OF Fran
cisco Villa. Carranza's Influence
spread rapidly, the military victories
OF his chief aide. Villa, rallying the
various factions Of northern Mexico
aDund his banner. For a time.
however, real progress was slow.
Auerta's Vaccinations had embroiled
Mexico with the United States and
intervention seemed immtpent. Tho
killing Of w. S. Benton, q British
subject by a staff officer of villa
further complicated the situation.
Then came Villas victory at Tor.
feon. the first real success OF the
war. Carranzs was pressing Huerta
hard when the A B G conference 10
dlsouss the differences between the
United States and Huerta was called
IN Buffalo. General Carranza refused
to suspend hostilities and declined 10
abide by the result of those dipio.
matte negotiations. The fighting
went on With the result that General
Huerta resigned the provisional pres
idency July Is. 1914, and a month
later General Carranza made his tn
umphal entry into, Mexico CITY.
0uerta In the meantime hayinr fled
to Spain.
Breaks With Villa.
shortly afterward independent
revolutionists led by Zapata, Gen.
Pascual Orozco and Others commences
ed. Dissension between villa ana
Carranza. which began at the Toreon
conferences. reached a climax Sept. "a.
1914. when Villa declared war on
carranza- Gen. Alvaro Obegon be-
came Carranza's leading general,
The Villa generals met at Agus-
callentes in November. 1914, and In
alliance with the Zapata faction.
lomed conventionist government.
The capital changed hands several
times and was not finally taken by
Of 1915.
The beginping Of the end Of the
Vilia-Zapata party as military
power followed swiftly the heavy
defeats Of Villa by Gen. Aware On.
RECON. villa was forced to siye up,
Iorreon and concentrate his dwind-
ling forces In northern Chihuahua
ana eastern Sonora, making OCCASION
al forays and raids which culminated
in the attack on Columbus N NJ
that resulted in the invasion Of Mex.
lean territory by General Pershfnr
Wins Wilson.
In the diplomatic exchanges that
ensued between President, Wilson and
Carranza, who had. been officiallv
recognized as the head OF the d q cto
government by the United StA4es a
october. 1915. be insisted on the
respect by the United states Of Mar.
ico's sovereignty and the ooncas.,or
70 nus government Of reciprocal
rights OF Invasion. He maintained NJ.
position despite tho crisis cauae6 hv
the clashes between Mexman .nA
American soldiers at ParraI AVA
Cafrzal. but when war see,nea ~
avoidable carranza succeeded -
stemming the tide by his nrcno.a,
fof the appointment Of a to,n& CON,
mission to settle the dlfricuItie, sn,,
caoiy. The proposal was accepted bv
PRESIDENT Wilson and the deliber.,
ions OF the commission resulted q
the withdrawal OF the Amer,c.n
army and tho restoration Of fr,endIu
relations between the two countr,..
In the meantime CArfanza "a
called constitutional conrre..
which accepted most Of the reform.
ne outlined. On March II, 1917 he
was elected president. More than
100000 votes were cast for him p.
look the oath of office May>l, 1917.
IN message to the Mexican con
gress following his inauguration :,
president, carranza declared Mer,co.s
strict neutrality. His note to nen-
tral nations, however, urging them
to declare -embaTgoes against all the
european beuigerents, as a mean.
OF ending the war, and the warmth
OF his language in copsratulatiny .
Emperor William on the occasion ~
his last birthday, aroused comment
in the United States. as did also the
puplcation OF the Zimmerman note,
inviting Mexico to take ''by conquest
the states of Texas. Arizona and
New Mexico IN payment for a dec
laration of war on the United States