through lack of opportunity or excess of discipline. Now it would be convenient that you consult them regarding this matter.

I trust, Mr. General, in your good judgment and sense of right, to kindly bear in mind with a spirit of serenity and justice what we have

set before you, and unite your efforts to ours

Republic needs so much, without lessening the agrarian ideals for which you have struggled for so long a time.

I am happy to sign myself,

Yours affectionate and loyal friend,
ANTONIO I. VILLARREAL.

Mexico City, October 5th, 1914.

Yesterday at 7 P. M. the First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, vested with the Executive Authority, produced before the Assembly of Governors and Generals united in convention in the Chambers of Deputies, the following information: "Generals of the Constitutionalist Army, Governors of the States of the Union. Upon initiating the struggle for legality against the rebel dictatorship, I offered to call you to a solemn convention to be held in the Capital of the Republic, when it should be occupied by the Constitutionalist Amy; and according to the Plan of Guadalupe, accepted by all of you. through which I might take upon myself the Executive Authority of the Nation, I am happy to-day to fulfill the promise I made you; in consequence, you will all discuss the political program for a provisional government of the Republic, and such matters of general interest as will lead the country to its realization of the ideals of justice and liberty, for which we have so valiantly struggled. During the campaign the Chiefs of the Constitutionalist Army with whom I spoke, including those of the Northern Division, agreed with me in that this convention should fix the date on which the election to reestablish the Constitutionalist order would be held, as the supreme goal of the legalist movement. Equally all the Chiefs of this army coincide with me in that the Provisional Government should institute the social and political reforms which will be considered in this Convention as of urgent public necessity, before the re-establishment of the Constitutionalist order; the social and political reforms about which I spoke to the principal Chiefs of the Army, indispensable to satisfy the aspirations of the public in its need for economic liberty, of political equality, and organic peace, are briefly enumerated in what I set forth herewith. The assurance of municipal liberty as a check and balance to the political power of the States, and as the principal doctrine of all democratic practices; the resolution of the agrarian problem. through the division of the national lands, of the land which the government may buy from the great proprietors and that which may be expropriated for public profit. That the municipalities, for the public welfare, should expropriate, in all the settlements of more than 500 inhabitants, land for the building of schools,

markets and courts.

To compel all business concerns to pay salaries in cash, weekly if possible; to dictate dispositions concerning the limitations of working hours, Sunday rest, a workingman's compensation law and the betterment of the economic condition of the working class.

To estimate the value of property in our territory so as to be able to obtain an equitable taxation. To nullify all unconstitutional concessions, contracts and agreements. To reform taxation in a broad spirit of liberty, taking care not to hurt the industries of the country and to facilitate the importation of prime necessities not manufactured in the Republic, for the benefit of the middle and lower classes.

To reform the banking law with a view to the establishment of a national bank. To give marriage the character of a real civil law by permitting it to be consummated before a notary public, and not as at present when it is dependent of an unwarranted intervention of state functionaries and therefore, subject to political eventualities. Conjointly with this reform to permit absolute divorce by mutual consent of both parties.

At the approach of the date of the Convention I thought it my duty to dictate some dispositions necessary within the spirit of the revolution, such as the appraisement of real estate, the matter pertaining to the issue of thirty-five million pesos paper money, the necessity of draw ing up an exact list of the expenses of public administration, of the Department of Public Instruction, and Justice in the Federal District and Territories of the Republic.

The intention of the Constitutionalist Army to offer in this Convention, unique in the history of Mexico, social and political reforms demanded by the nation, and the most expeditious means. of restoring the Constitutional order broken by the treason and rebellion of an usurper; is on the point of being frustrated by the conduct of Gen. Francisco Villa, Chief of the Northern Division, who with serious threats prejudicial to our country only, refused to recognize me as First Chief of the Constitutional Army in charge of the Executive Power.

This attitude resulted in a petition signed by some generals under Villa and some civilians surrounding him in the manner of arbiters of the destinies of the nation, asking me as an act of

stitutionalist Army and the Executive Power of the Union in favor of an honorable, distinguished gentleman who naturally was the first one to refuse the offer of an armed group, representing as it does a pretorian stroke which if countenanced would revert us to the dark and turbulent epochs of our history, when as a consequence a great part of our territory was lost.

Therefore, I must explain to the nation, for the sake of historical accuracy, the reasons which have determined the preconceived and preparatory rebellious attitude of General Villa, which is nothing more than the work of the reaction instigated by the so-called cientificos and by all those defeated by the triumphant revolution, and those who have been refused public posts on account of cowardice and ineptitude.

The Governor of the State of Sonora, José Maria Maytorena, bribing a part of the Constitutionalist forces in that State, seized Gen. Salvador Alvarado and in point of fact disclaimed me as First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, and Head of the Executive Authority, under the pretext of pretended insults to the State. sovereignty committed by Col. Elias Calles, Chief of the Constitutionalist Forces in the northern part of Sonora.

With the object of attempting to settle the difficulties resulting between Governor Maytorena and Col. Calles, I gave orders to Gen. Alvardo Obregon to go to Chihuahua and in company with General Villa to try to solve those problems. In the meantime, Maytorena advanced with his troops to Nogales and then, General Obregon, with the view of avoiding more shedding of blood, ordered Calles to abandon the aforementioned place, where Obregon and Villa arrived a short time afterward to treat with the rebel Government; it being agreed that General Hill should take command as a substitute of the forces of Col. Calles, and these troops should retire to Chihuahua, after which General Cabral would assume the Military Command in the State, and the forces.of Maytorena should be under his orders.

Before the arrival of General Cabral in Sonora, Villa ordered Hill to retire with his troops to Casas Grandes, an order which this general did not obey owing to the fact that it did not. emanate from his Chief, General Obregon. General Obregon retraced his steps to the Capital To give me an account of his mission, but a few ays afterward left again for Chihuahua with e object of making an investigation of the roblem in. Sonora, and settling the conflict be

and Tomas Urbina, belonging to Villa's division, who presented themselves in Durango, arrayed in a hostile attitude against the Governor of the State, General Domingo Arrieta.

General Obregon had scarcely arrived at Chihuahua, when Villa commanded him to order the immediate departure of Hill for Casas Grandes. Gen. Obregon denied this request, before General Cabral should assume military command in Sonora. Differences resulted between both these leaders, and Villa tried to shoot Obregon, but the intervention of some other chiefs prevented his carrying out his plan. Villa held him as a prisoner for a short time, but with the object of concealing the matter, he gave a ball to General Obregon.

When these occurrences took place General Hill communicated to the Secretary of War the answer which he sent to a message from General Obregon, in which this chief ordered him to continue his march to Casas Grandes, and to which he refused obedience, knowing that General Obregon was in prison. Naturally, I approved of the conduct of General Hill, and told him that in the future he must not obey other orders than those of this First Magistracy.

Upon learning of this message I ordered that traffic to the north of Aguascalientes and between Torreon and Monterey should be suspended, and if the forces under Villa should advance, they were to destroy both railways; then Villa addressed me, declaring that he did not know to what to attribute such a determination; I told him, as was my duty, that before giving him an answer regarding the matter I desired him to make an explanation of his conduct with relation to General Obregon. place of obeying, Villa refused to give the explanation which I had requested as his superior, sending me the following message, which I thought it my duty not to answer:

Chihuahua, Sept. 22d, 1914.

Mr. V. Carranza.

In

In answer to your message, I hereby declare to you that General Obregon and other generals of this Division departed last night for the Capital with the object of discussing important matters relative to the general situation of the Republic, but in view of your proceedings which reveal a premeditated desire to place stumbling-blocks in the way of a satisfactory arrangement to all difficulties, and arrive at the peace which we so much desire, I have ordered his trip to be suspended and detained him in Torreon. In consequ

will not meet at the convention which you have called, and thereupon I declare that you are not recognized as the First Chief of the Republic, remaining at liberty to proceed as may suit my convenience.

The General-in-Chief, Francisco Villa." Some generals solicited an interview with the Chiefs of the Northern Division to see if it were not possible to avoid an armed conflict, arising from the disavowal made by Villa of the authority which I represent, and their efforts have been directed so that this assembly, as soon as it may be completed by the Constitutionalist Generals who have not yet arrived, will be moved to the City of Aguascalientes there to celebrate the convention in place of holding it in this Capital, where I had already called it and where the said convention should really be verified.

With the intention of making known the details which General Obregon may render to me as the Executive Authority information in regard to the commissions they conferred upon him, I cannot admit for the honor of the Constitutionalist Army itself, which designated me as its First Chief, and to whose patriotism and self-denial is due the triumph of the Plan of Guadalupe, that a rebel group, an undisciplined minority, may try to impose their will on the majority of the Chiefs, which is the only authority that has the power to give me orders, and the only one I will yield obedience to.

If I have not tried to conquer this rebel Chieftain by force of arms it has been because prudence so demanded it, but if unfortunately the time might come when it would be impossible to longer tolerate a persistent and unjustified rebellion, the nation should know that the Constitutionalist Government can command more than one hundred thousand men, artillery, machine guns and war supplies to bring that

and principally, on the invincible force of the reason and justice which inspires the opinions of the level-headed citizen of the Republic to sustain the Government.

You conferred upon me the command of the army, you placed in my hands the Executive Power of the Nation: these two sacred trusts I cannot deliver honorably at the request of a group of Chieftains misguided in the execution of their duty and a few civilians to whom the country owed nothing in this struggle. I can only deliver over my authority, and I do deliver it at this moment, to the Chiefs here united. I desire your immediate resolution, declaring to you that from this time on I retire from the Convention, leaving you wholly free, and trusting that your decision may be inspired in the supreme welfare of the country.

V. CARRANZA.

Mr. Carranza was unanimously acclaimed. Upon his retirement, it was nearly one o'clock, the assembly entered shortly after into considerations and discussions regarding matters of general interest without referring to the resignation made from the positions of First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, and the Head of the Executive Authority.

The point under discusion having been settled, the referred-to resignation came up for debate, and then, through unanimous vote and almost immediately, the Assembly turned to place in the hands of Mr. Carranza the Leadership of the Constitutionalist Army, and Head of the Executive. A commission of generals waited on Mr. Carranza after 1 P. M., and upon the return of Mr. Carranza to his scat in the Assembly, the authority for both those high positions was placed again in his hands.

ROQUE ESTRADA,

Private Secretary to V. Carranza.