view raw text
1 ■ ■ . , GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. A dispatch of yesterday afternoon from HI Paso. Texas, says: Villa, heading south from Galena, is now encircled by Carranza troops, according to advices from leu. Luis Guterres, commander-in - chief of Chihuahua, today. With 15.000 men in Chihuahua and heavy reinforcements on their way from the division of General Callcs in Sonora, he thinks Villa has small chance of escape. A circumstantial story reached here from Mexican sources to the effect that Villa had once more changed his plans and intended making a stand against the American punitive expedition at Ojitos pass, the narrow gap in the western Chihuahua Sierras through which he made liis murderous dash on Columbus. Americans familiar with the country assert that the Ojitos pass is admirably adapted for a successful defense if Villa really intends to risk an open engagement with th" American troops and does not intend to try and evade the end bv guer- rilla tactics. Brie. Gen. John J. Pershing, commanding the American expeditionary force into Mexico, left here 011 a west-bound train last night, and. since his departure, military authorities have refused all information about him. -en rnl Porsh-!?* ,tr"" •*■ sai l 1"ro to " going to Columbus, V M.. where today some 4. 000 men of the first expeditionary force are in readiness for the dash after ilia. Some hours after General Pershing left here, however, it became evident that military authorities in this section intended that no information should leak out about his further movements, ah night long reports of the most sensational character poured into this eitv from various points along the border, but nearly all lacked con- i tirmat! e details. The most definite came from Naco Ariz. For some days reports have reached here from he border near Naeo of heavy movements , ■ I arranaa troops under General CaUes. Early today it waa asserted that a considerable number of these .troops were showing increasing hostility , toward Americans and might even espouse the cause of Villa. The United States military all thonties were suflicently aroused bv these stories to rueli reinforcements to the garrison at Naeo. jermaii troops broke the long lull in infantry ! fighting around Verdun by vicious attacks in the Haiidremont forest mar Donaumont, the French war .nice reported yesterday afternoon. No luge force was employed and the Germans were driven back. lhe war office also announced the repulse of German attempts to reconquer trenches taken bv lhe crouch Sunday night in the Le Petre forest forty-five miles southeast of Verdun. The Ger- ; mans returned o their trenches in each instance without following up the attack. The Teutons con- • tinue a heavy bombardment on both banks ,,f the Meuse. particularly around Vaux village and Fort i au and also in the Woevre region, but the expected grand assault 011 the Verdun forts has not .vet begun. The text of the statement follows- , j | I I I i , , ! ; • i , To the west of the River Mouse there was a fairly spirited cannonading last night. Oa the right bank of this stream a strong rrrnnnnlinrnr r of the enemy in the wood of Haiidremont was checked by our curtain of fire. The bombardment continues violently in the region of Vaux and near DenUoup. In the Woevre both the French and the German artillery has been active, particularly in the sector of Fix. but otherwise there is nothing of importance to report in this lection. In the forest of Le 1retre a detachment of GemuUM who endeavored to surprise our trenches at Croix do- Carmc- Waa received by a fusillade and compelled to disperse, leaving Several dead on the field. German newspapers sav that Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg has returned from the general headquarters. His return is in connection with the illness of Admiral von Tirpitz. the minister of marine, which the newspapers sav has created an unusual sensation. Th,- committee on foreign affairs of the German federal states is to meet tomorrow under the presidency of the Bavarian premier. Neither the chancellor nor Prussia is represented on this committee, which meets occasionally as a sort of control board of foreign affairs or Germany. George Bernhard says in tin- Vossische Zeitung that the decision to bold a meeting of this committee is regarded as a sign that the German states are dissatisfied with the present condition of affairs in respect to the war. He hints that the committee desires a conference witii the chancellor on pending questions, including disputes with the United States. Ilerr Bernhard declares the nation is being kept in the dark and takes the position that the governments sOence must be broken, Announcement was made at New Vorrf yesterday that the British government has awarded a contract to the Imperial Canneries, Limited, of Montreal, for 000,000,000 one-pound cans of beef stew for use as army rations. The aggregate value of the contract is given as 1 ,000.000. Deliveries are to begin within forty days, and the contract is to be filled within a year. According to those interested, it will require SOO.000,000 pounds id beef and 1.. "00.000 bags of rice, together with millions of pounds of beans, carrots and onions, to fill the contract. The Imperial Canneries is a new corporation, composed of three American packing concerns and one Canadian concern. It was organized as a bidding company to take over orders for rations in the United Slates and Canada. The Imperial Canneries, it is stated, has begun lo apportion the business among American and Canadian packers, wholesale grocers and c.iniiers. The state department at Washington was formally advised of the receipt by General Carranza of the reply sent yesterday to his proposals for a reciprocal agreement as to the pursuit of bandits along toe border. Unofficial information reached the department the American note was favorably received by General Carranza. but the official messages made no comment on that point. The department has not renewed its standing order urging Americans to stay out of Mexico for the time being, but it was indicated that the attention of consuls in Mexico might lie again directed to those in-true-j tions. It is assumed that Consul Canada, at Vera Cruz, acted under the standing order in urging Ann rienna to leave the interim- of Mexico, as reported ill news dispatches. The state department had no advices in that connection. A dispatch of yesterday from Mexico City says; General Carranza has appointed General Alvaro Obregon minister of war and marine and General Candido Agnilar minister of foreign relations. In constitutionalist official circles here it is believed that this action is a preliminary to the first chiefs n rignntion of executive power in order that he mav be a candidate for the constitutional presidency at the coming elections. General Aguilar. in the capacity of the head of the cabinet, by this arrangement would succeed General Carranaa as chief executive during the pro-constitutinmil period. It is understood that lhe appointment of A-uil.ir .ami Obregon were agreed upon at a recent meeting of military and civil constitutionalist leaders held in Otiadalajara. Although protected by a Carranza garrison, the Mori 1 colony at Cuaua Crandes. in the heart of Villas territory, is cut off from the border bv .1 break in the railroad, undoubtedly made le. one of the Villa bands. One of the first movements of the American forces probably will be in that direction. Carranza officials have maintained that their force was sufficient to protect the coloni-t . A large quantity of Red Cross supplies were burned in a fire which destroyed No. 2 pier of the steamship terminals at Halifax. N. S.. ye n day. The loss is estimated at 00,000. Mrs. Casey, in charge of the supplies, who yvns jn the building when the fire started, was missing Inter and it was feared that she had lost her life. The cause of the fire is unknown. The military authorities were notified yesterday that bridge No. 2! S. on the Texas ami Pacific Railroad, was burned Monday night. Mexican- are suspected of having fired the structure, but a barge force of workmen are already at work replacing the bridge in order that the progress of seven troop trains to the border might not be Interrupted. The bridge structure, more than 250 fei t long, is located near Weatherford, Texas. Eleven hundred men were thrown out of work Monday when the plant of the Corn Products Refining Company in ArgO was shut down because of a strike of 250 workers in the starch plant. Fifteen saloons in Argo and Summit were closed as a precaution against violence, and private watchmen guarded the buildings of the company, Which cover forty -three acres. Cocci nor Dunne has announced that he is ready to call out 8,000 members of the Illinois National Guard to be mobilised in twenty-four fa -s whenever Washington sends the word. Adjutant General Frank S. Dickson, who accompanied the governor to Chicago, said the National Guard Bevel was in finer condition. Intense Italian artillery firing along the Isonxo front is apparently a prelude to an important ait ion. the Rome correspondent of the London Tim. - reported yesterday. The Italian gunners have blasted away enemy entanglements, the dispatches said, and the Austrian artillery is replying le-s vigorously. Reports have been received at Berlin from Athens of fighting on the Creek island of Mytilene between Greek and Preach soldiers, it js said one Preach soldier was killed and another wounded severely. French re-en Iorcements were brought up and imprisoned the Creeks. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. Genua naval minister, lias been ill for several day- -■•- a dispatch from Amsterdam, and the business of the ministry of marine lias been handed over to the oldest ranking officer.
