and American exiles from Mexico observed the events which pointed to a future Constitutionalist victory, they sent agents to Carranza, to Gen. Obregon, to Gen. Gonzalez and to Gen. Villa to discover which of those men were more likely to be influenced by money, personal ambition, or other motives. The reports were un-favorable, with the exception of Villa. The other chiefs were men of culture, breeding and political experience. Most Constitutionalist chiefs were of the opinion that all reactionary elements, like the cientificos, should be eliminated. They understood that as F. I. Madero had been sacrified as a martyr to Mexican liberty, his name would be inscribed in the scroll of fame.

But the Madero family, from Francisco Madero down had no claim to Mexican gratitude in the shape of political power. Therefore they frowned upon the attempts of the Madero clan. to get in "on the ground floor" of the successful revolution. Thereupon all the "cientificos" turned their efforts upon the brave, loyal and talented but fiery tempered, illiterate and politically inexperienced Villa.

Day by day, week by week, month after month agents were with Villa's army as camp followers, officers, friends and admirers, as newspaper correspondents, to work on the impressionable general. His vanity was tickled, his patriotism was excited, his personality, his military achievements were exaggerated, his importance in the revolution was magnified until he began to think that he was inspired to lead the Mexican people. While this was going on the "cientificos" spent thousands of dollars for fiction and magazine writers to pen biographies wherein the past life of Villa was described in a romantic fashion to palliate his youthful peccadilloes and magnify his victories. Even Huerta had secret agents with Villa to try and break him away from the leadership of Carranza. In his last message Huerta spoke of the division among the revolutionalists-he meant Villa but at that time Villa was not ripe for a break and his declaration was premature. The cientificos, neo-cientificos and so-called maderistas continued the efforts to undermine the loyalty of Villa.

It was evident that Pancho Villa would not ally himself, even if he should quarrel with Carranza, with the reactionary powers, which had been fighting for Diaz, de la Barra, Huerta, Carbajal. The intention of the press agents was to make the personality of Villa so dominant in the minds of Americans and Mexicans that al

might be nevertheless a president maker, the balance of power, the man behind the throne in Mexico.

The agents poured out day after day stories about Carranza, about his faults, but never his virtues. They told Villa that Carranza was an aristocrat, a great landowner who would never settle the land question, an ambitious man who wanted to become dictator, a pretentious scholar who laughed at Villa's ignorance.

Reed in an article speaks of Villa's loyalty to Carranza in the beginning of the revolution. "His loyalty to Carranza was perfectly obstinate. He seems to think that in Carranza were embodied the entire ideals of the revolution, this in spite of the fact that many of his advisers tried to make him see that Carranza was essentially an aristocrat and a reformer and that the people were fighting for more than reform."

The work of the Villa advisers was slowly bearing fruit; the untrained mind of the strong willed condottiere was undermined systematically with every known and unknown machiavellian device; his intelligence was being trained to become a useful tool for higher unscrupulous, aristocratic masters.

Excuses for difference between Carranza and Villa were easily found and magnified until Villa began to believe that Carranza was jealous of him and his power, his talent and his honesty. Carranza appeared in the plastic mind of the military leader very much blacker than he was painted. The Chief of the Revolution's name to Villa had the same effect on him as a red rag to a bull.

Villa began to believe that he was persecuted by the Supreme Chief.

It is easy to understand that in such a suspicious, tense, state of mind, filled with imaginary grievances, one more drop of subtle, calomnious poison was sufficient to overflow the cup of bitterness.

It was intended that Villa should quarrel with the Chief of the Revolution, disown him and if necessary fight him, but at all events no matter by what methods, he was to be eliminated. Then Villa would control the Convention of Generals and Governors. He would dictate the name of the provisional President and later of the President.

He would be the Czar of Mexican politics with the string being pulled from Paris and New York. He was to be a Czar of Mexico without office, but with real power in his hands;

crown of an empire.

When Villa had done his work and the cientifico tool was in the presidential chair, then Villa himself would be eliminated gently if possible, by force if necessary.

What has not been taken into account is that things may not turn out as they were originally planned, and that even if Villa can be deceived for a while, there may come a time when he will

men politically cleverer than he is. The settlement of the land question will turn the comedy into a tragedy for the cientificos.

When Villa awakens from his trance, all his patriotism, his honesty, his sense of justice will change into a wave of disgust, indignation and rage.

Then woe to the conspirators near and far! Meanwhile events will have to run their course.

Apart from the first differences occurring between Mr. Carranza and General Villa through the deaths of Benton and Bauche events that only took place during the revolution in territory under the dominion of the forces of General Villa, there have been provoked the two following serious schisms:

FIRST.

General Villa, like all the Constitutionalist officials, expressly recognized the leadership of Mr. Carranza and took orders from him. Frequently Mr. Carranza ordered a certain head or official of some particular division to assist another who was engaged in battle. On various occasions he assigned aid to General Villa when the latter was going into action with his men.

On the 9th of June, Generals Natera and Arrieta attacked the city of Zacatecas occupied by Huertista forces. The outposts of the city. had already been taken, but on carrying an assault against the principal fortifications they encountered more resistance, for the enemy had received reinforcements. Then Mr. Carranza ordered General Villa, who was the chief nearest to Zacatecas, to send 5,000 men to Natera's assistance. General Villa refused to send these reinforcements, pretending first that the roadway was cut off, and afterward said that General Robles under whose command the reinforcements were to be sent was ill, and in conclusion declared that he would render assistance to Zacatecas only if he marched at the head of his division; otherwise he would resign from the command. Mr. Carranza answered Villa to the effect that his resignation was neither necessary nor convenient, and that he was to send aid to General Natera who had already commenced action. Villa replied that he had determined to resign and that he thereby left the command of

the northern division. the resignation.

Mr. Carranza accepted

The officials under the direction of Villa favored his decision and backed him up, but he continued in command of his division notwthstanding his resignation.

Villa did not only in this instance deprive a companion at arms of aid and disobey Carranza whom he recognized as his Chief, but he ordered the capture of the general treasurer and of other civil officials who depended on General Carranza, and also took possession of the funds in the Treasury.

SECOND.

Because of the hostile attitude toward General Carranza of José Ma. Maytorena in Sonora, with a force of 1,500 Yaquis, Mr. Carranza, always guided by the idea of establishing harmony among the Constitutionalists and of giving a proof of confidence to General Villa, fully authorized him and General Obregon to attempt a pacific arrangement with Maytorena, avoiding any clashes with the forces in that State commanded by Col. Plutarco Elias Calles, and to keep them faithful to Carranza.

It was agreed between the aforementioned Generals Obregon and Villa and Maytorena that the last should lay aside his hostile attitude and remain as the Governor of the State of Sonora and military commander; that he might recognize as chief of military jurisdiction, General Obregon in his character of Commandant of the Northwestern Division and that Col. Calles should retire from the State of Sonora.

Mr. Carranza not only fulfilled his promise by relieving the commander of the forces and taking him out of Sonora, but he placed these forces under the command of General Hill, a personal friend of Maytorena. But General Hill

did he disclaim the authority of Obregon, but even caused his subordinates to insult him. This decided the Generals Villa and Obregon to nullify the pact with Maytorena, and Villa to threaten to fight him if he continued his belligerent attitude.

He

General Villa did not carry out this last resolution without deceiving General Hill. ordered him according to an agreement between himself, Villa and General Obregon to leave. Sonora and penetrate to the interior of Chihuahua. As General Hill answered him that he would obey no other orders than those of his immediate chief, General Obregon, General Villa in place of fighting Maytorena, as he had offered to do, desired to send forces from Chihuahua to Sonora to fight Hill, in league with Maytorena.

These last actions of General Villa determined General Obregon to make a trip to Chihuahua, to hold a friendly conference there. General Villa finding Obregon defenceless compelled him with the threat of shooting him without courtmartial to order Hill to get out of Sonora.

The unjustifiable imprisonment of Obregon executed by General Villa, the order given by him to shoot Obregon without court-martial, the conduct of General Villa himself in the confidential commission which Mr. Carranza conferred upon him to settle peacefully the difficulties in the State of Sonora, and lastly the intention of invading this state with armed forces to assist Maytorena against the troops of Carranza, all these acts were consummated without Mr. Carranza's knowledge, and revealed too clearly the future conduct of Villa, caused Mr. Carranza to take precautionary measures of defence, among which was the suspension of railway traffic north of Aguascalientes.

This order to suspend traffic was the pretext taken by Villa to assume a really rebellious attitude, for he addressed an insolent telegram to the first Chief, calling him to account for such a step, and almost ordering him to annul the measure; and as Mr. Carranza manifested before answering his telegram that he desired to know the conduct which he, Villa, had observed toward General Obregon, Villa without answering nor justifying himself declared that the northern division would not be present at the convention summoned by Carranza for the 1st of October, and that he disclaimed him as Chief of the Constitutionalist Army.

A few days before this last occurrence, Mr. Carranza conferred on Villa the rank of Division General.

The first incident provoked by General Villa, of disobeying the order to help Natera, which action greatly relaxed the discipline of the Constitutionalist forces, gave rise to what is called the pact of Torreon.

General Pablo Gonzalez and the other leaders of the northeastern division, wishing to establish concord with the forces of Villa, invited the chiefs of these forces to send delegates so that through peaceful conferences a way might be resolved for smoothing the friction occasioned by the disobedience of Villa. He and his generals accepted the invitation.

In these conferences, consummated only between representatives of the forces of General Gonzalez and those of General Villa, all the amendments proposed to the plan of Guadalupe were renounced, according to the acts of the conclaves, subscribed to by the delegates and secretaries who attended them.

General Carranza conceded again to recognize Villa as chief of the northern division, and this division reiterated to Carranza its recognition of him as the First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army.

The only measure adopted in the conferences of Torreon and that had to be submitted to Mr. Carranza for his approval was the following: "As soon as the revolution shall have triumphed there is to be called a convention which will take place in Mexico City, with the object of deciding when the elections of the Republic are to be held. This convention will be composed of one delegate for each 1,000 soldiers under arms. The delegate is to be elected by a committee of military chiefs, and his election approved by the commandants of the respective divisions."

Mr. Carranza did not approve but modified the foregoing proposition in the sense that the delegates to the convention might be named, one by each general or Governor of a State or military chief in command of forces when these might not be able to meet.

It is absurd to believe, as the American press believes, that the rebellious attitude of General Villa is owing to a failure on the part of Carranza to comply with the agreement celebrated in Torreon, in respect to the form of holding the convention. Mr. Carranza did not accept the proposition which the officials of General Gonzalez and General Villa agreed to submit for his approval. But aside from this, it is absurd to believe that Villa would have an advantage if the convention might be formed

with a delegate for each 1,000 soldiers carrying arms, it being supposed that the forces under Carranza amounted to 101,000 men, and those under Villa only amounted to 24,000.

The proposition presented by Villa to form the convention, a proposition which leaves definitely the nomination of the delegate to the military commander of each division; can hardly be called democratic, and as there only exist four divisions, all the delegates would be named by only four persons; while the form adopted by Carranza has more amplitude, because each general, each Governor and each chief in command of troops can meet at the convention or name a delegate.

To sum up, it is untrue to assert that the hostile attitude of Villa toward Carranza is justified because Carranza did not carry out what he had agreed upon. Carranza did not agree to the nomination of a delegate for every 1,000 men, nor is it true that Villa would have control of the convention if it should be formed in this manner.

FORMER PROPOSITIONS OF VILLA.

Carranza, satisfying his own wishes and the wishes of the Constitutionalist leaders, summoned the convention for October, notwithstanding the fact that he cannot say the revolution has completely triumphed. This convention will be vested with the most ample authority, the designation of a provisional government, and will map out the plans for the establishment of a constitutional government. General Villa had agreed that the northern division under his command should be present at the convention through the medium of representatives chosen in the form adopted by Mr. Carranza, it being understood that in accordance with his telegram addressed to Mr. Carranza, he had already sent his delegates whom he ordered to return when they arrived in the city of Torreon.

The following propositions also furnish proof of his acceptance, said propositions having been submitted to Mr. Carranza in company with General Obregon, at the beginning of the present month, and that Mr. Carranza accepted the same with the understanding that they might be in harmony with the wishes of the convention.

First-The First Chief of the Constitutionailst Army will assume from now on the title of Provisional President of the Republic, and will add ministers to his Cabinet.

Second:-As soon as the Cabinet of the Provisional President will be formed, in accordance

with his Ministers, he will proceed to appoint temporarily the persons who may discharge the duties of Magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice.

He will name also the other judicial authorities of the Federation belonging to the District and to the Territories.

Third: The Constitutional or military Governors of the States, in accordance with the municipalities which may be in the respective capitals, will designate the persons who may fill the positions in the Upper Courts, temporarily, and the Judges of the Primary Court of Claims and Inferior Judges.

Fourth-The Governors of States, the Governor of the District, and the Political heads of the Territories will call elections of the Municipalities, as soon as the judicial authorities have been appointed. The elections will be held the same month that the council convenes, and within eight days after said elections may have been held the citizens appointed will come together to establish themselves in the Electoral College, to qualify the elections, and the day afterward the respective Council will be installed.

Fifth-As soon as the Councils are established, the Provisional President of the Republic and the Constitutional or Military Governors of the States, will call elections, the first for representatives to the Congress of the Union, and the second for Constitutional Governor, Deputies to the Local Legislature and Magistrates to the Superior Courts, in the cases in which the constitution of the State may provide that in this manner these last may be chosen.

These elections will be held precisely one month after the call for them may have been issued, and will serve as a basis for the electoral division of the last election which may have taken place before the 18th of February, 1913.

Sixth-The Federal Cabinets and the State Legislatures having been installed, the first in extraordinary sessions will busy itself preferably in the study of the following constitutional reforms, which the Temporary President will

propose:

A:-Suppression of the Vice-Presidency of the Republic, and manner of filling the temporary or absolute absence of the President.

B: To modify the length of time during which the President of the Republic shall discharge his duties.

C: The organization of the Supreme Court of Justice and the manner of procedure regarding the designation of its officers.

D:-The declaration of inability on the part

new national army to discharge the duties of President of the Republic, Governors of State and the rest of the positions of popular election, if they shall not have left said positions for at least six months before becoming candidates for the Presidential chair.

The constitutional reforms having been approved by the Federal Cabinets, the Legislatures of State, also of preference, and in extraordinary sessions if they have been held, the expressed reforms shall be discussed.

Seventh-Immediately upon the result of the relative discussion of the constitutional reforms being known, the Provisional President shall issue a call for the elections of a Constitutional President, and for the appointing of the Magi

established by the Political Constitution of the Republic.

Eighth-The citizens who may have discharged duties temporarily at the time of the triumph of the revolution, nor those who have held office from the date of the call up to the moment of election, may be eligible for President of the Republic, nor for Governors of States.

Ninth-The temporary Governors of the States as soon as they assume control shall name a council which shall reside in the capital of the State, and will be composed of a Representative for each district, with a view to studying the agrarian problem and to form a plan which will be sent to the State Congress for its legal

sanction.

Mexico City, September 28th, 1914. Via Laredo. The Government relies upon one hundred thousand men to preserve the peace of the Republic.

The treaty agreed to at Torreon between the Northern Division and the Corps of the Northeast Army is in no way valid, for it has never received my approval. I judged it of the utmost importance to call a meeting the first of October with the object of discussing and agreeing to a program for the Provisional Government, to fix the date of elections to study and resolve questions of general interest and even provisional government, I being disposed to deliver over the said charge if the majority of the assembly so desire.

The notices relative to the downfall and imprisonment of Gonzalez are entirely untrue. for the said division has fought the Zapatistas with success, destroying them on every side and causing them up to the present time the loss of more than two thousand men. I repeat that I have not failed to live up to any compact, but on the contrary Villa and Maytorena failed in their compact celebrated for the purpose of the

pretended solution of the difficulties in Sonora, for which some days ago Generals Obregon and Villa were commissioned.

Constitutionalist generals attempted to solve the conflict peaceably, and for that purpose a commission went out headed by General Obregon with destination at Zacatecas to hold a conference with Generals Aguirre Benavides and Robles of the Villa Division. The railway and telegraphic communications between Mexico and Vera Cruz are preserved intact and General Aguilar remains faithful to the First Magistracy. He, like other Constitutionalist generals in the south, fight the reactionary forces of Argumedo and Aguilar that find it necessary to ensconce themselves in small groups in the mountains. General Obregon remains faithful to the government, with all the confidence of the First Magistracy.

FOR NO MATTER WHAT MY SITUATION AS A LAND-OWNER MIGHT BE, THE AGRARIAN PROBLEM SUCH AS IT IS MUST BE SETTLED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF ANY KIND.

(Signed) V. CARRANZA.

soldiers. The Constitutionalist forces, apart from those faithful to the cause, in the same northern division and under the First Magis