MOVEMENT HEADED BY CARRANZA
TO ESTABLISH CONSTITUTIONAL
I FORM OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT
(The better element in Mexico is behind Carranza because of hs honesty
a.-td integrity and the fact that he stands for a government of principle and
lt of men.)
Tbe view of the ordinary American
citizen In regard to Mexico is that
It has become Just one Provisional
President after another. Changes
have been so kaleidoscopic and the
daily news has been so conflicting
that H has become almost impossible
for "the man on the street" to under
stand the true situation in the Repub
lic to the south of us.
His exasperation has reached that
point where he bow dismisses the
whole affair with a comment that "a
lot of bandits seem to be fighting
among themselves in Mexico as to
who shall be allowed the privilege
of looting the country and I reckon
Vncle Sam will have to step in one of
these days and straighten things out."
The one significant fact that hos
served to make Americana believe that
possibly brhind the present turmoil in
Mexico there may be after all some
thing big and serious, has been the
broad humanitarian view that Presi
dent Wilson has consistently taken In
regard to the Mexican revolution.
A brief history of the present revo
lutionary movement in Mexico tends
to clear up many of the things that
have remained incomprehensible to
Americans and sheds a light on the
entire situation that gives a true un
derstanding of the conditions in that
country as they exist today.
Tbe present revolution actually had
Hb inception with Francisco Madero
In 1910. Most Americans are familiar
with the rapid and unexpected tri
umph of Madero over Diaz, but it is
not generally known that Madero's
regime failed to be a success and live
up to the high hopes and expectations
that bad been born with it, becnuse
be bad been too generous in compro
mising with the reactionaries and that
they on account of their dominance of
be two hold-over houses of Congress
were able to defeat all his plans for
tbe betterment of his people.
Assassination of Madero.
The shameful assassination at the
instigation of Huerta excited such a
feeling of indignation in the United
States as to make President Wilson's
stand in refusing to recognize the
Government set. up by Huerta on the
dead body of Madero, as being emi
nently just and in keeping with the
best traditions of this country.
Madero's death put the old cientl
Jlcos, reactionaries and clerics back
again in power. This necessitated
that the struggle Madero had success
fully waged must again be taken up,
and accordingly there came into ex
istence with the new movement a new
shibboleth that has rung from one
cad of Mexico to the other: "Justice
and Reform and no compromise."
Tbe first man to refuse to accept
the authority of the dictator Huerta
and to fling into his face a bitter de
fiance was Venustiano Carranza, then
Governor of the State of Coahuila.
Carranza has been one of the strong
est supporters of Madero and during
the previous revolution had acted as
Minister of War in tbe assassinated
President's provisional cabinet.
Carranza's patriotic stand drew the
attention of all liberty loving Mexi
cans to Coahuila and there soon ral
lied around the Governor's standard
a number of high-minded and patriot
ic Mexicans, who banded together to
overthrow the usurper Huerta and re
establish a constitutional government
in Mexico.
Accordingly it was under these cir
cumstances the much heard of, but
little understood plan of Guadalupe
came into existence. The main planks
of this plan are as follows:
"For the organization of the mili
tary forces necessary to make compli
ance with our purposes, we name as
First Chief of the forces which shall
be called 'Constitutionalists,' Don
Venustiano Carranza, Governor of the
State of Coahuila.
"On the occupation by the Consti
tutionalist forces of the City of Mexi
co, the Executive power shall be taken
charge of by Don Venustiano Carran
za, First Chief of the forces, or who
ever may be substituted in command.
"Tbe president ad interim of the Re
rabHc shall convoke general elections
as soon as peace shall have been es
tablished, delivering tbe power to tbe
person who shall be elected.
Genesis of Revolution.
This was the genesis of the revolu
tion against Huerta, which bad, as can
i be neon, as its one blc hope, the re
' estabtiahaient of a constitutional form
: of government In Mexico. Following
this triumph, tbe necessary reforms
that tbe country cried for were
thought to follow as a necessary con
sequence. Th movement against Huerta was
a magnificent effort on the part of tbe
Mexicans to regain tbe ideals Madero
had given .them, and not to sink back
again into the despotic days of Diaz.
The present struggle in Mexico has
not Justifiable grounds for its exist
ence. Villa has made this issue: "I
am to dominate' Mexico," and has en
deavored to cloak it in a mantle of
verbal patriotism and empty sounding
platitudes. The element behind Car
ranza is not supporting the personal
ity of Carranza. At all times it bas
been willing to sacrifice him for the
greater good of the country. Il has
dimply rallied to him in this present
conflict, because of his honesty, integ
rity and deep seated patriotism, and
because he stands for a government
of principle and not of men,
The revolution against llnerta swept
through Mexico with the irresistible
force that has ever animated every
real struggle for liberty and the dash
ing victories of Villa, Gonzales, Obre
gon, Herera and others against the
Federal troops brought the victorious
revolutionists into Mexico City after
17 months of struggle. Huerta tied
an exile to Spain.
Only one small cloud specked the
horizon of the revolution during Its
early days. This was when Villa, be
ing ordered by Carranza to send re
inforcements to a brother general, re
fused to accept the commands of his
superior officer and carried his in
subordination to such a length that
when his resignation as division com
mander was accepted by Carranza, he
paid no attention to this action and
continued to remain in charge of his
army.
Cur ran rag position In this matter
was similar to that of President Lin
coln during our Civil War. when Mc
Clellan, Fremont, Hooker, Hurnside
and Meade scoffed at the President's
knowledge of military strategy and re
fused to give any heed to his direc
tions as Commander in Chief of the
Union forces. In each case, Lincoln
was compelled to remove the insubor
dinate general from his command.
Carranza Retires.
Carranza, setting aside all personal
considerations and desirous, above
anything else, of bringing the revo
lution to a triumphant conclusion,
agreed to allow General Gonzales to
hold a conference with General Villa,
In order that tbe personal diflcrenoes
between the two men might be ad
justed and the welfare of the constitu
tionalist cause not be Jeopardized.
This was effected, but it was clear to
the minds of all Mexicans that unless
Villa changed his mental attitude and
ceased to allow a certain clique of re
actionaries, who bad come close to
his -confidences, to inflate his vanity
beyond control, that they would use
him as a tool to undermine the now
all but attained success of the revolu
tion. Events afterwards proved these
apprehensions to be well grounded.
From the moment that Villa first be
gan to dream dreams of an empire
and the traitorous kitchen cabinet that
surrounded him began to see the prob
ability of their nefarious work ripen
ing into success, there began a well
organized and systematic campaign
of publicity in this country with the
purpose of painting Carranza as "Anti
American," "ambitious," "hostile,"
'dictatorial. stubborn, etc. He was
dubbed an "old man in his tottering
senility," and other such libelous de
scriptions of him were sent broadcast
as to create in this country an impres
sion that Carranza was totally unfit
to act as the Chief Executive of Mex
ico. Carranza is not a diplomat, in fact.
his blunt honesty is at times discon
certing in its sincerity: straight cuts
rather than winding paths, are the fa
vorite ways of his mental trains. He
is essentially Anglo-Saxon in his men
tal workings and utterly lacks the usu
al Latin habits of circumlocution and
procrastination.
Vera Crux Note.
This was strikingly evidenced In his
so-called Vera Cruz note to this conn
try. Carranza felt that the ooupa-
tion of Vera Crux by our troops was
a violation of the sovereignty of Mex
ico. Northerns In the Civil War would
bave entertained the same feeling of
resentment against England had she
on account of some differences with
tbe Confederacy occupied Mobile. All
America would have been united in
hostile array against the British A
somewhat similar sentiment animated
Mexico when the United State army
by force took possession of Vera Cruz.
Fortunately, after a storm of aggra
vation had swept this country over
what was termed "Carranza insolent
stand." the administration came to
appreciate Carranza's position and
nothing that marred tne menaiy reel-
In between the White House and the
Constitutionalist cam of this unfor
tunate incident. In due time the
greater part of the American people
also arrived at the understanding of
the patriotism that had prompted Car
ranza. After Carranza had established a
government iu the national capital he
issued a call to all the military lead
ers and governors of States who had
signed the plan of Guadalupe to meet
in convention on October 1st, In Mexi
co City, fur the purpose of drafting
a program of reforms and to name a
date for the calling of general elec
tions. Villa, ever since his first break with
Carranza, had been throwing obstacles
in the way of a successful pacification
of the country. In order to show him
that he harbored no ill feelings Car
ranza named Villa to go with General
Obregon. on a peace mission to settle
a local etiife in the State of Sonora.
Villa m the course of these negotia
tions became so Incensed at Obrsgon,
EIE3
II.
- &
Iff
VENUSTIANO
First Chief of the
who held an equal rank with htm in
the Constitutionalist army, because
Hiu Inttnr refused tn accent hla unau
thorized dictation and withdrew Gen
eral HIU from -Sonora In order that
Governor Maytorena, Villa's ally,
mieht control the situation and array
that State against Carranza's author
ity, that In a frenzy of anger he at
tempted to ktll Obregon. Fortunately
helnz restrained from this bv subor
dinate officers, he highhandedly placed
Obregon under arrest. I nese events
happened but a few days before the
time that the Mexico City convention
was to assemble.
When Carranza was informed of
Villa's unwarranted nersecntion of
Obregon, he ordered the train service
north of the City or Aguascalientes,
some distance soutn or where UDre
iron waa held bv Villa, discontinued
temnnrarllv from Mexico Citv. until he
could determine whether or not Villa
Intended his treatment or Obregon to
presage a hostile military movement
against Carranza.
Villa's Insolence.
Villa sent a telegram to Carranza
nuklne him to exDlain what he termed
this hostile action against his division
of the North. Carranza sent him tne
following reply: "Before answering
vnnp mesftaee which I have Just re
ceived I desire an explanation of your
conduct towards uenerai uoregon in
rhlhnahun." Instead of Villa elvlng
iha renuested explanation to his su
perior officer he replied Insolently that
he would no longer recognize l arran
ha First Chief nf the Renuhllc.
In explanation of this traitorous con
duct Villa gave the ridiculous and pet
ty reason that he had broken with Car
ranza. and was willing to plunge tbe
mnnm intA a civil war. because Car
ranza did not have sufficient intelli
gence or ability to govern Mexico. How
f.iui this statement reallv was can
be best understood when it is ex
plained that Villa can scarcely read
or write and bas never read a single
book in his life, whilst on the other
band Carranza is a man of education,
culture and business experience. ,
The convention that Carranza had
.oiioH tn meet In Mexico Citv onened
t.. ...sinna mi tha annotated flnv Can
ransa tendered hia resignation as First
Chief to the convention ana asuea tne
delegates to accept it U they thought
thert-by suc-h action would be con
ducive to establishing permanent
peace in Mexico. The convention
unanimously rejected his resignation
and passed a vote of confidence in the
First Chief.
Villa and his army of the North had;
refused to send delegates to this con
vention. In a last effort to settle the
difficulty between the Division of the
North and the remainder of the Con
stitutionalist army, certain leaders
among the Constitutionalists proposed
that a commission be sent to treat
;?: Villa and that the convention
itself adjourn from Mexico City to
Aguascalientes. Carranza. foreseeing,
as afterwards came to pass, the futil
ity of this action, opposed it, but final
ly allowed the delegates of their own
volition to move to Aguascalientes to
treat with the chiefs of the Northern
Division.
Primarily tbe purpose of the Aguas
callentes meeting was simply , to en-
jf i: & ;&
ft
t v
CARRANZA
Constitutionalist.
deavor to persuade Villa to send rep
resentatives to the convention. After
wards it usurped sovereign powers
that it did not possess and which
Carranza never sanctioned. But Car
ranza, putting aside the considerations
and rising nobly to tbe demands of tbe
situation, expressed to the conven
tion in writing his willingness not
only to resign as First Chief In charge
of the executive power of the nation,
but to become an exile from bis coun
try if the delegates ask this of blm.
The single condition that be stated
must govern this abdication was that
Villa should rebign bis command of
the Constitutionalist army of the
North and If tbe convention so de
creed, must also leave Mexico.
Story of Convention.
The convention on November 6th
passed a resolution calling for tbe re
tirement of both carranza and villa
Antonio I. Vlllareal, Chairman of the
convention, thus describes subsequent
events:
"After the absurd selection of Gen
eral Gutierrez as Provisional Presi
dent for 20 days, which bad been done
in deference to the wishes of Zapata,
myself and three others were commis
sioned to serve notice on the First
Chief that he was to resign. Villa
had already agreed, so his representa
tives stated, to tender his resignation.
We would have shortly secured Car
ranza's retirement had not General
Gutierrez, bullied Into action by pres
sure brought upon him by Villa, sum
moned the latter to Aguascalientes
and placed him In command of all the
military forces In the country.
"This act violated the previous reso
lution of the convention and was con
trary to lis own mandates, or In other
words, contrary to the desires of what
was left of it, as it must be remem
bered that out of the 155 registered
delegates many had withdrawn for one
reason or another until at last there
were only 60 members left and 18 out
of this 60 bad been recalled by their
signatories. A quorum in tbe convent
tlon necessitated 79 delegates.
"A brief resume of the situation at
this critical time might be stated as
follows: We said to Carranza: 'Retire
or we will fight yon, your retirement
being made with tbe understanding
that Villa will be forced to withdraw.'
Wo said to General Gutierrez and to
i:
V
OUTLOOK FOR IMDEfi COUNTRY
BRIGHTER THAU MOST AHERICAIIS
REALIZE; PEACE SOOII TO REH
(Carranza will establish a constitutional form of government -the
.deal, of Madero. Nec.ry rsform. that th. p.,e dZ.f, b.
enacted for the betterment of all.) P oemsmi wtn be
the convention: That Villa retire or
we wjll fight him and uphold the reso
lution of the convention. Villa's re
tirement b.elng with tbe understanding
that Carranza will be forced to retire.'
"The reply . we received from Gen
eral Gutierrez was that he had given
Villa the command of tbe forces which
were to fight against Carranza; that
is, he had violated the fundamental
resolution of tbe convention, which
was the basis of the whole agreement
and the essential condition of our obli
gation. "This violent and Illegal decision re
lieved us of every obligation toward
an assembly without patriotism or
moral force, the tool of an ambitious
and savage faction to which we had
shown undeserved complacency out
of love for peace, but whose blind and
unconditional figureheads we could
not and would not be.
"Thereupon we decided with full
consciousness of our act, certain that
we were following the course- of pa
triotism and duty, to fight Francisco
Villa with all our force until we had
removed from tbe horizon of the na
tion this menace of reaction and bar
barity." Carranza a Civilian.
Carranza is essentially a civilian
rather than a military man. From the
Inception of the revolution he sought
to direct Its destinies as did Presi
dents Lincoln and Davis control
events In our Civil war. Accordingly
wben Villa commenced his ml'ltary
campaign against Carranza the latter
had not a single soldier directly under
his personal command. His only
strength lay in the Justice of bis cause
and the only means he used to or
ganize an army was to unfurl the ban
ner of patriotism and to allow such
generals and their armies to gather
around it as desired to combat for
right and Justice. Tbe entire Consti
tutionalist army, exclusive of the Divi
sion of the North, commanded by Vil
la, flocked to the support of Carranza.
Carranza withdrew from Mexico
City 'and established the national cap
ital at Vera Crux.
Pathetic in its note of helplessness
Is the story that President Gutlerres
told of conditions existing In Mexico
City while he occupied the presiden
tial chair. He narrated this after
he had fled from the city and endeav
ored to attach himself to Carranza.
The following parts of his narrative
are taken up after he recites in detail
the executions of Alberto Garcia Ara
gon, Vice-President of the Aguascali
entes convention and Professor David
Rerlango, another distinguished mem
ber of the convention, both of whom
had been brutally murdered by the
orders of Villa.
He says: "The members of the
Aguascalientes convention which was
now meeting In Mexico City, justly
alarmed by these dally murders, in
formed me that they desired to change
their residence from Mexico City to
the town of San Luis Potosl, where
they expected to convene In safety.
"A large number of the members of
the convention proceeded to tbe above
city and General Villa having been in
formed by his agents of what had hap
pened had the audacity to issue or
ders of arrest and execution against
these persons whose Immunity was
absolute and who were the source
from which Villa derived tbe authority
with which he is invested.
Delegates Flee;
"In view of these terrible orders the
delegates, carrying the flag of the con
vention, called for protection on the
Carranza Governor of the State of
Nuevo Laredo, In which State they
are at present"
indicative of what an empty honor
Gutierrez held and bow the so-called
convention party now means but one
man Villa is the following excerpt
from the same narrative:
"On Sunday. December 31st, Gen
eral Villa came to my borne, revolver
In hand, accompanied by ten or
twelve armed men, besides two thou
sand cavalry, who, surrounded my
house and removed the meager guard
of twenty men who were defending
me. With the courage instilled in blm
by such an array of force. Villa sha-ne-fully
insulted me and hurled baseless,
mortifying and criminal charges at
me.
"With shame and Indignation I had
to be a spectator of all these outrages
because I did not bave sufficient force
to halt the reign of mnrder and rob
bery that Villa conducted."
The flight of Gutlerres from Mexico
City, accompanied by many prominent
men In tbe so-called Convention
party, strikingly Illustrated to tbe
world the Impossibility of this or any
other kindred government ruling In
Mexico that was not subservient to the
wishes of Villa
The abandonment of Gutlerres and
tbe other prominent men of the Con
vention party has left Villa isolated
and alone and made the Issue In Mexi
co now definite and certain. It Is:
Shall VU!a be allowed to become the
dictator of tbe country, or shall the
people themselves rule!
The outlook In Mexico at present
Is really encouraging, though the con
fusion attendant upon military opera
tions has served to make this country
consider the situation more dark than
ever before. All the patriotic ele-l
ments in Mexico are rallying to Car
ranza's standard. Villa with his own
division of, the army Is fighting the
rest of the .nation and an indication
of what. his movement really signifies
is the fact that he has invited all the
old - Federal army officers against
whom the Madero revolution and its
successor that drove Huerta from pow
er was waged, to Join him.
World conditions are such that no
government in Mexico can exist with
out tbe friendship of this country and
without its moral and financial help.
In a sense then, Americans are tn duty
bound to look upon the situation In.
Mexico from an intelligent and a sym
pathetic angle.
Carranza Misunderstood.
Carranza has been grossly misun
derstood in this country. He is &
man of probity, clean living and in
tense patriotism. He Is not a wealthy
man. He bas reared his family in
comfort, having made his living from
the raising of cattle. He himself bas
visited the United States many times.
He has bad bis family educated In
this country. Every man whom he
bas selected to become a member of
his Cabinet he has first sent to this
country to become acquainted with the
American idea, system and plan of
conducting tbe office he Is about to as
sume. Carranza is unmllitary. educated,
having taken a law degree, Intensely
Mexican, and whole-heartedly desir
ous of helping the downtrodden peon
to obtain "his chance In life." Villa
contrastingly Is uneducated, Ignorant,
brutal, unrestrained la bis passions,
totally unappreciatlve of the needs or
his country and Is simply riding hie
vanity to what be hopes w ill be the
dictatorship of Mexico.
Illustrative of the character of the
two men Is the fact that Carranza, not
even to gain valuable political ends,
would stultify himself to the extent of
currying favor with the Washington
administration as long as our troops
were at Vera ?ruz. His feelings of
friendshin he nt locked in his heart
until the time be deemed proper to
express them. Villa, on the other
band, has been one thing to thin
country and another to Mexico. He
has taken every occasion to slobber
lngly express bis regard and friend
ship for this country and tbe admin
istration, while in Mexico be has at
tempted to gain recruits for his army
by demagogically declaring that the
United States Intends to annex Mexico
and that he in the role of his country's
savior calls upon the ex-Federals to
join him In resisting the invasion that
be announces soon is to come. Villa
is forced to make this explanation to
his own troops because otherwise they
would keenly resent the presence of
these Huertistas In their ranks.
Carranza and the Constitutionalist
cause has been assailed In this coun
try as being not only Anti-Catholic,
but Antl-Rellglous. The true facts
show both these accusations to be
false. The Constitutionalist cause is
opposed to any church taking part In
the polities of the country and Is ve
hemently opposed to its aligning itself
with the reactionaries and privileged
classes, as unfortunately the Catholic
church bas done since the colonization
of Mexico by the Spaniard.
Rafael Zuberan Capmany, former
agent of tbe Constitutionalists tn
Washington, and now minister of tbe
interior in Carranza's Cabinet, stated
in the following manner the Constitu
tionalists' position in this respect:
Church Question.
"Let the Catholics of America Un
derstand that the occurrences which
have happened and are explainable
under the present disturbed condi
tions, do not, nor cannot constitute a
part of the program of he Constitu
tionalists who are pledcoJ to the prin
ciple of the separation of the State
and church and are firm believers in
the principle of religious liberty.
One of the main reasons that bas
prevented a better feeling of cordial
ity existing between Mexico and this
country has been the fact that the
ordinary American looks upon all
Mexicans as "greasers" and affects an
air of superiority towards the nation,
that has bred tbe worst of understand
ing between tbe two countries. The
lower class of Mexicans, commonly
called the "peon," is undoubtedly ig
norant and ill-kempt, but he has ster
ling virtues of honesty and a genuine
love of his country that deserves re
spect President Wilson by his Just atti
tude towards Mexico has wiped out
the old memories that country has
held of us since the Mexican war,
when we took from it tbe greater por
tion of its territory. Mexicans nor
universally recognize that tbe only
ambition this country bas In regard
to Mexico Is to be of help and assist
ance to It