resign his command of the Northern division. My answer to him was to the effect that there was no cause for such an action on his part, and repeated my order to him, that he was to go to the assistance of General Natera, who found himself every moment in a more and more embarrassing position. Villa then presented his resignation, thinking that I would not accept it, which I did, but he nevertheless continued at the head of the Northern division, and after rebelling against me as First Chief, marched against Zacatecas.

The Generals of the Northeastern division seeing in the attitude of General Villa a serious danger to all concerned, they arranged with the Chiefs of the Northern division, to celebrate some conferences in the State of Torreon. At these conferences, it was agreed to submit to my approval, certain propositions, and I must hereby state that I did not intervene or take any part whatsoever in these conferences, and therefore was not bound to accept its decisions. Nevertheless, when the different arrangements were put before me for my consideration, I accepted some points and rejected others. I agreed to have General Villa continue at the head of the Northern Division, furnishing provisions for his men, and letting him have the coal of the Coahuila coal-mines for his trains, and for the use of the railroad traffic in the region occupied by him. On the other hand, the Northern Division agreed to return to obedience and place itself under my orders-they also agreed to rescind their hold of the Railroads, and place them at the disposition of the Department of Comunicaciones (that is, the Railroads traversing the territory occupied by the Division of the North) also to hand over the National Treasury, the Customs of Ciudad Juarez, the Tax-Stamp Office, the Department of State and all the other federal offices which they had forcibly seized at the time they revolted, and to hand over to their rightful owners several millions dollars issued by the Constitutional Government and which they were unlawfully retaining in their power.

One of the clauses of the agreement which I did not accept, was that of conferring upon Villa the grade of General of Division, as I did not deem it justified to recompense an insubordination with a promotion. Another clause to which I would not agree was that providing that General Angeles (whom I had dismissed because I found him unworthy of the position entrusted to him) should resume his post as Assistant Secretary of War, with the understanding that immediately after his reinstatement, he would make his resignation. This did not seem to me to be a correct thing to do, it being too much like the proceedings of Diaz, and his sham pardons, proceedings which cannot be accepted by anyone with claims to self-respect.

Facts have been concealed and misrepresented, for the purpose of accusing me of having violated agreements, which could in no sort or manner be binding for me, and of having transgressed these same agreements by summoning a Junta of Generals and Governors of the States in the City of Mexico. This last mentioned, was an agreement which I had voluntarily entered into, and which I was therefore bound to comply with, which I did. But General Villa, who shields himself behind the Northern Division, and speaks always in the name of this Division, though he knows well that not all the Generals, Chiefs,

Officers and soldiers share his opinions, he asserts that "Since the Northern Division had lost its faith in the First Chief, they naturally could not put it in a Junta whose members were practically chosen by me, as it was I who had the power to confer the grade of General, and to appoint the Governors of the different States, which at all times would give me an assured majority.

Grievous and insulting accusations, these that Villa hurls against the Constitutionalist Army and its worthy chiefs! His desire to harm me is so great, that he audaciously makes the offense extensive to all his comrades-in-arms! Let General Villa know that, should I have the majority in that Junta, it would be because the majority of Constitutionalist Chiefs are true to their words, to themselves and to their ideals, and not because I have made them Generals. I also made Villa a General, and he betrayed his cause and did not fulfil his promise.

As First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, I protest with more vigor than if I only were accused, against the charge of servility and abjection made by General Villa, to dishonor through history the names of all the generals who have followed me and the banner of legality. They are all, according to Villa, unworthy, he alone is honorable and deserving.

This majority of unconditional adherents and servile chiefs would be, if we are to believe Villa's Manifest, the support which would assist me "to remain in power an indefinite length of time, and to govern with a despotism never before known in the history of our country." Strange, is it not, that General Villa should still pretend not to know that the Plan of Guadalupe, accepted by him, imposed on me the obligation of assuming the Executive Power on entering the capital of the Republic, and of retaining it until the country was pacified, the elections taken place, and Constitutional order re-established. General Villa also pretends to be ignorant of the fact that the Plan of Guadalupe authorized me to fix a date for elections to take place, and that if, moved by a democratic spirit, I declined to make use of this authority, convoking instead a Junta of Generals and Governors of the States, it was with the idea that among other things they should also arrange this detail. I will also add that wishing to give the Junta entire liberty of action, I made to them my resignation. of First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army and the Executive Power. I can find no more convincing and effective refutation of the calumnious charges made by General Villa against me, than the exposition of the facts I have just related. (It must be borne in mind that one of his charges is that of my planning to remain in power an indefinite length of time). General Villa can only answer my justification, by another calumny: that I instructed all the chiefs beforehand, not to accept my resignation, and that they, obeying my instructions, again put the executive power in my hands, not by a voluntary and patriotic act, which would have been to me a just source of pride and profound gratefulness-but that they did it-supposedly-through the abject servility which General Villa attributes to them.

But according to Villa, I have not only the intention of remaining indefinitely in power, but also of ruling for an indefinite length

resign his command of the Northern division. My answer to him was to the effect that there was no cause for such an action on his part, and repeated my order to him, that he was to go to the assistance of General Natera, who found himself every moment in a more and more embarrassing position. Villa then presented his resignation, thinking that I would not accept it, which I did, but he nevertheless continued at the head of the Northern division, and after rebelling against me as First Chief, marched against Zacatecas.

The Generals of the Northeastern division seeing in the attitude of General Villa a serious danger to all concerned, they arranged with the Chiefs of the Northern division, to celebrate some conferences in the State of Torreon. At these conferences, it was agreed to submit to my approval, certain propositions, and I must hereby state that I did not intervene or take any part whatsoever in these conferences, and therefore was not bound to accept its decisions. Nevertheless, when the different arrangements were put before me for my consideration, I accepted some points and rejected others. I agreed to have General Villa continue at the head of the Northern Division, furnishing provisions for his men, and letting him have the coal of the Coahuila coal-mines for his trains, and for the use of the railroad traffic in the region occupied by him. On the other hand, the Northern Division agreed to return to obedience and place itself under my orders-they also agreed to rescind their hold of the Railroads, and place them at the disposition of the Department of Comunicaciones (that is, the Railroads traversing the territory occupied by the Division of the North) also to hand over the National Treasury, the Customs of Ciudad Juarez, the Tax-Stamp Office, the Department of State and all the other federal offices which they had forcibly seized at the time they revolted, and to hand over to their rightful owners several millions dollars issued by the Constitutional Government and which they were unlawfully retaining in their power.

One of the clauses of the agreement which I did not accept, was that of conferring upon Villa the grade of General of Division, as I did not deem it justified to recompense an insubordination with a promotion. Another clause to which I would not agree was that providing that General Angeles (whom I had dismissed because I found him unworthy of the position entrusted to him) should resume his post as Assistant Secretary of War, with the understanding that immediately after his reinstatement, he would make his resignation. This did not seem to me to be a correct thing to do, it being too much like the proceedings of Diaz, and his sham pardons, proceedings which cannot be accepted by anyone with claims to self-respect.

Facts have been concealed and misrepresented, for the purpose of accusing me of having violated agreements, which could in no sort or manner be binding for me, and of having transgressed these same agreements by summoning a Junta of Generals and Governors of the States in the City of Mexico. This last mentioned, was an agreement which I had voluntarily entered into, and which I was therefore bound to comply with, which I did. But General Villa, who shields himself behind the Northern Division, and speaks always in the name of this Division, though he knows well that not all the Generals, Chiefs,

Officers and soldiers share his opinions, he asserts that "Since the Northern Division had lost its faith in the First Chief, they naturally could not put it in a Junta whose members were practically chosen by me, as it was I who had the power to confer the grade of General, and to appoint the Governors of the different States, which at all times would give me an assured majority.

Grievous and insulting accusations, these that Villa hurls against the Constitutionalist Army and its worthy chiefs! His desire to harm me is so great, that he audaciously makes the offense extensive to all his comrades-in-arms! Let General Villa know that, should I have the majority in that Junta, it would be because the majority of Constitutionalist Chiefs are true to their words, to themselves and to their ideals, and not because I have made them Generals. I also made Villa a General, and he betrayed his cause and did not fulfil his promise.

As First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, I protest with more vigor than if I only were accused, against the charge of servility and abjection made by General Villa, to dishonor through history the names of all the generals who have followed me and the banner of legality. They are all, according to Villa, unworthy, he alone is honorable and deserving.

This majority of unconditional adherents and servile chiefs would be, if we are to believe Villa's Manifest, the support which would assist me "to remain in power an indefinite length of time, and to govern with a despotism never before known in the history of our country." Strange, is it not, that General Villa should still pretend not to know that the Plan of Guadalupe, accepted by him, imposed on me the obligation of assuming the Executive Power on entering the capital of the Republic, and of retaining it until the country was pacified, the elections taken place, and Constitutional order re-established. General Villa also pretends to be ignorant of the fact that the Plan of Guadalupe authorized me to fix a date for elections to take place, and that if, moved by a democratic spirit, I declined to make use of this authority, convoking instead a Junta of Generals and Governors of the States, it was with the idea that among other things they should also arrange this detail. I will also add that wishing to give the Junta entire liberty of action, I made to them my resignation. of First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army and the Executive Power. I can find no more convincing and effective refutation of the calumnious charges made by General Villa against me, than the exposition of the facts I have just related. (It must be borne in mind that one of his charges is that of my planning to remain in power an indefinite length of time). General Villa can only answer my justification, by another calumny: that I instructed all the chiefs beforehand, not to accept my resignation, and that they, obeying my instructions, again put the executive power in my hands, not by a voluntary and patriotic act, which would have been to me a just source of pride and profound gratefulness-but that they did it-supposedly-through the abject servility which General Villa attributes to them.

But according to Villa, I have not only the intention of remaining indefinitely in power, but also of ruling for an indefinite length

of time, with a despotism never before equalled in the history of our country. Villa pretends to found his assertions on several reasons. He says I refused to accept the title of Provisional President, which rightfully pertained to me according to the Plan of Guadalupe, placing me under the restrictions of the Constitution, and that with second intention I retained the title of First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army and Chargé of the Executive Power. To this charge I will only say that the title of Provisional President is in fact understood in the Plan of Guadalupe, but not clearly precised, and therefore I chose to adopt that which was clearly precised in the mentioned Plan, i. e. Chargé of the Executive Power. Moreover, the title of Provisional President could not place me, as Villa maintains, under Constitutional restrictions, as I could not very well be held to a Constitutional system which does not yet exist. The mere fact of my bearing the title of Provisional President could not put into effect the Constitution of the Republic.

Villa also charges me with having changed the form of the Constitutional oath. This charge is hardly worth a reply, it being such an insignificant detail when one considers that no public functionary or employe can be obliged to obey and enforce on others obedience to a Constitution which is not yet effective. Naturally the only thing that can be demanded just now of public functionnaries and employes, is the promise that they will work for the re-establishment of Constitutional order, in accordance with the Plan of Guadalupe, that being the final goal of the present lawful revolution. General Villa, who accuses me of such an insignificant detail as that of having changed the form of the oath: Did he not accept as a necessity brought on by the Revolution, the enforcement of the law of the 25th of January? Did he by chance obey the Constitution which he now so ardently defends, when he disposed of the haciendas in Chihuahua, when he has shot men without giving any consideration to Constitutional guarantees, when he has not even respected the decrees of the First Chief, when to end with, regardless of international policy and regardless of the Law which he so often invokes, he proceeded as he did in the case of the Englishman, Benton.

He accuses me of not having chosen my Cabinet in accordance to the regulations of the Constitution, because I have left the Secretaries of my Cabinet with the title of Superior Officials. Although this charge, like the preceding one, is almost too insignificant to be noticed, I will say that, outside of the fact that I am not obliged to act in accordance with Constitutional regulations which do not exist as yet, General Villa should know, and also those who have made his Manifest for him, that the offices of Cabinet Secretaries can be served by Assistant Secretaries or Superior Officials, as legally as by regular Secretaries.

General Villa says that "I assumed the three Constitutional Powers while I suppressed Judicial Authorities, and that I left the lives and interests of the Mexicans at the mercy of the Military Chiefs, without legal restrictions of any sort." This recourse was made necessary by the Revolution itself, and it could not be otherwise. The Plan of Guadalupe, which was seconded and maintained by General