Rebels Now Rule Half of Mexico ----------- * - ------------------------------------- Official Information Shows C ar-, todny at its maximum strength. It Is on army poorly organized and poorly ranza Barely Clings to Con­ equipped. O f this army a large pro­ portion Is held in or near Mexico City, trol Over Rest. HAS ONLY 60,000 TROOPS P ie sld e n t Is T o o W eak to Keep O rd e r as B andits H a ra ss W hole C o u n try — In d u s try Snuffed O u t and M orale at L o w Ebb. New York.— The Mexican problem ■was never more toublesome. Condi­ tions in that revolution-racked land were never more chaotic than they nre today. Carranza how controls little ir.ore than one-half of Mexican terri­ tory and his hold on that Is not at all secure. Opposed to him ore six organ­ ized rebel organizations, not Including the Sonora Ynquls, while everywhere his authority Is hampered and his troops harassed by organized ban­ ditry. Bearing upon actunl conditions In Mexico, the New York Times has come Into possession o f certain Information, now in the official possession of the United States government. Verifica­ tion o f these statements which follow Is to be found in the archives of the government In Washington. . Carranza has officially claimed thnt he is supported by a regular army of 120.000 well disciplined and well equipped troops. This statement Is not borne out by the facts In the case, and the truth o f the matter is thnt his armed forces number not more than 60.000 officers and enlisted men, who nre poorly equipped, whose morale Is a! low ebb. yet upon whose loyalty de­ pends Carranza’s sway over a people who number more than 115.000,000. 'Todny the Coahuiln “ chieftain” Is ex­ ercising authority In those parts of Mexico not under rebel or bandit domination ns a dictator nnd through the promulgation of executive decrees. O f the great Amerlcnn border-line Car­ ranza Is in control of not much more than one-third, while the whole of southern Mexico Is severed from “ fed­ eral control” by a stretch of rebel-con­ trolled territory thnt on the Atlantic extends from the rich oil lands of Tam­ pico almost to the City o f Vera Cruz, and on the Pacific by the entire coast line of the great state o f Oaxaca. Low er California has become to all In­ tents and purposes Independent o f the government that sits in Mexico City. T h re e G eneral D ivision s. The contending forces In Mexico may be referred to under three gen­ eral heads. They a r e : First— The federal or Carranzista forces. Second— The rebel forces led by Felipe Angeles, Francisco Villa, Guill­ ermo Melxuerlo, n full-blooded Znpotec Indian, nnd by many well-informed ob­ servers considered the nblost nnd most trustworthy lender in M exico; Felix Diaz. Manuel Pelnez, who dominates the Tampico nnd adjacent oil fields; the Zapatistas, still, despite Carranza affirmation, a power In thnt i>nrt of Mexico o f which the state of Morelos Is the center; General Cantu, governor o f the state of Low er California, and the organized YaquI Indian forces of the western part o f the border state of Sonora. Third— The bandits who, In small groups, are operating everywhere In Mexico. As to the first or federal forces sup­ porting Carranza, it Is, as already pointed out, the official claim o f the present Mexican, or Carranza, govern­ ment, thnt this force numbers 120,000 men. It is a conscript army to a great extent and It Is small and Ineffi­ cient fo w two reasons, the first being Carrnnzirs inability to enforce con­ scription. nnd the second the fact thnt he is unable properly to equip, train, or maintain necessary discipline. Owing to these two conditions, over which Carranza appears to have no control, the federal army of Mexico Is leaving the remainder, numbering less than a full division, according to the American organization, to guard and maintain supremacy In the states of Nuevo Leon, eastern Conhuila, south­ ern Durango, Hlldngo, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Mlchoacan, Jalisco, Topic, Zacatecas, Guerrero, folium, Chlnpas, Cnmpenc h i ' Yucatan, Tnbasco, Quintana Boo, and the east­ ern or Atlantic edge o f the state of 1 era Cruz, which territory on paper re­ mains under federal control. The big transcontinental stretch of rebel-controlled territory, which aver­ ages more than 100 miles in width, nnd which forms an unbroken barrier from ocean to ocean, completely separates the federnl-controlled states o f the south— Chiapas, Cnmpeach.v, Yueatnn, Tabasco, port of Vera Cruz and Quln- tann Roo— from the states or parts of states over which Carranza still holds sway In the north. V illa Forces Strongest. O f the organized opposition groups which are seeking to overthrow Car­ ranza, the most powerful Is that which Is operating in Chihuahua and neigh­ boring states under Angeles and Villa. The Villistus, as this force is popu­ larly known, is not the unorganized, poorly equipped, nnd undisciplined force thnt a great many people in this country think It Is. It Is, on the other hand, probably the best organized nnd equipped military organization In Mex­ ico. It numbers 10,000 men command­ ed by Angeles, the French trained rebel loader, with Villa second In com­ mand. It is well equipped with rifles r.nd is said to have u fairly well organ­ ized nrtillery arm, and the Vlllistns fire the best ammunition, which, ns a rule. Is American made nnd is smug- B,e,! acr,oss the 11,0 Grande by “ gun unners. The Angeles-Villa forces nre todny practically in control of the entire state of Chihuahua, a large part of Du­ rango, the enstern part of Sonora, nnd the western part of Carranza’s own state o f Conhuila. The one port of Chihuahua thnt An­ geles nnd Villa do not control Is the border city o f Juarez, opposite El Paso, nnd they wbuld todny be in possession of thnt much-needed border port but for the fact thnt they brought about Amerlcnn Intervention In their plans by firing over the border Into the Texas city. The Americans did not go to Juarez to help Carranza, ns some peo­ ple think, but solely for the purpose o f safeguarding the lives o f Americans on the Texns side o f the Rio Grnnde. The next more Important rebel force in Mexico is that under com­ mand of Manuel Pelnez, who dominates the oil-producing regions o f the Tam­ pico country. Pelnez lias under Ills command 3,000 well organized nnd fair­ ly well equipped men. The value of the foreign oil interests in the ter­ ritory in which Pelaez Is operating Is estimated nt more than $300,000,000. Pelnez is said to be pro-ally In senti­ ment, nnd to this Is due In large part the failure of the Germans nnd their Carranzista sympathizers to gain con­ trol of the oil fields while the Euro­ pean war was actively under way. A llie s Lik e M eixuerio. Under Guillermo Melxuerlo, In the state o f Oaxaca, Is another rebel force of several thousnnd well organized men. Carrnnza has made desperate but ineffectual efforts to dislodge Meix­ uerio, who Is easily one of his most feared opponents, and whose record Is such ns to win the sympathetic approv­ al o f the allies. Meixuerio is a full- blooded Zapotec, a*lawyer, and a man o f fine education. • Next in importance among the retiel groups is thnt commanded by Felix Diaz. Under Diaz, according to offi­ cial Information, tliere ore approxi­ mately 5,000 men. The Diaz forces, however, unlike those under Pelnez, Angeles and Melxuerlo, are loosely or­ ganized and are said to be in great COMFORT FOR OUR MERCHANT SAILORS Bat on Shoulder Called Good Luck in Poker Game. Canton, O.— Mystery surround­ ing the purchase o f live bats at $10 by Cnntonlans was solved when one o f the purchasers ex­ plained that bats bring good luck. During the Inst several weeks a number o f buts have been sold In Canton. Advertisements hnve been run In the newspapers nnd many persons are anxious to ob­ tain them. “ I f you keep a bat In your pocket or let It perch on your shoulder when you sit In a gnme of cards, you are sure to hnve good luck,” remnrked one bat owner. lie added he knew a man In Chicago who owned a bat and he always had good luck. need o f ammunition and other war ma­ terials. Despite this handicap, how­ ever, the Felielstns, ns the Diaz reb­ els nre known, continue to be a force, and all the efforts of Carranza to break up the organization hnve failed. The Fellclstas nre operating In the state of Tamnulipas In the north nnd In part of Hidalgo, Puebla, and Vera Cruz in the south. The southern Fe- llclstn area forms the center link In the rebel ocean barrier. The state o f Morelos nnd small parts o f the states o f Mexico nnd Guerrero form the area In which the famous Zapatistas are nnd have been operat­ ing for the last seven years. As for Cantu, in Low er California, the situation there can be dismissed with a word. Cantu Is in absolute control o f thnt part o f Mexico, nnd Carranza Is making no effort to interfere with the Independent state that Cnutu has set up. Sm uggle A rm s In. The seventh of Carranza’s troubles nre the Ynquis of western Sonora. They are operating in bandit groups nnd number probably several thousnnd. Like the Villistas, they nre armed and equipped by smuggling from the United States. The Yaquls nre among the hardest nnd best fighters In Mexico, nnd little If any effort Is bqjng made by the federnl government to restore order In that part o f Sonora un*er their domination. Lastly, the bandits. Official reports prove that everywhere In Mexico the outlaw bands are £o be found. Their number Is unknown, but they are powerful enough to hold the attention o f a considerable part of Carrnnzn’s bnrd-pressed little regular nrmy of 60,- 000 men. Briefly, what precedes gives the line­ up o f the factions that are fighting for control o f Mexico. Ilere nre some of the facts, officially established, that have resulted from the country-wide Internecine strife In Mexico. Economically Mexico Is In the midst o f n crisis which Is characterized by the Intense poverty nnd the actual want of the great mass of the people. The mornle o f the population everywhere was never lower than nt the present time. The genernl health of the peo­ ple Is everywhere bod. Cnttle raising, the principal Industry o f the nation. Is today only about ten per cent of what It was in 1914. O f all Mexican In­ dustries, the growing o f henequln alone shows progress. All textile factories nnd sugar mills, with a few exceptions, nre out of business, and those thnt are operating nre run down nnd In need of repair. Practically all o f the coun­ try’s 16,000 miles of railroads are de­ moralized or destroyed ns n' result of rebel nnd bnndlt activity. Not a cent o f Interest has been paid on the na­ tional foreign debt In more than five years. More than 75 per cent o f the popu­ lation Is now absolutely Illiterate. The nntionnl credit Is gone, nnd thp for­ eign oil Interests are. despite the ap­ parent friendly attitude o f Pelnez, menaced. As an indication of the health o f the people, latest reports es­ timate the yearly death rnte In Mexico City Is 21,000, while the reported birth rate Is only 7,500. It Is believed, how­ ever, that a correct census would show a larger birth rate, although the 7,500 estimate Is official. A t the present time all reliable re­ ports coming out o f Mexico Indicate (he precarious condition o f the Carran­ za government. Carrnnza has been during the past three years probably the most pro-German head o f a stnte in the western hemisphere. O p e n ly P ro-G erm an. Until recently his attitude has been unfriendly to the United States, nnd when he thought Germany was win­ ning he made no efforts to conceal his sympathy fo r the Teutons^ Legisla­ tion thnt wras passed during the wnr nnd which wns directed against the allied oil holdings In the Tampico coun­ try Is generally believed, in private as well as official circles, to hnve been Inspired by German Interests and rep­ resentatives In Mexico. Protests ngalhst this legislation have been filed by the American, British nnd French govern­ ments. Since he developed his anti-American ntytude Citrranzn has fanned his supporters with the slogan o f “ Latln- Americnn Solidarity" against the great northern republic, and today the most generally developed trait In the ma­ jority o f Mexicans In federal controlled territory Is that o f anti-Americanism. Popcorn Debauch. San Francisco.— Frnnk Fischer sued The mattress and pillows us««l In the berths o f the sailors and firemen Mary Beilly, nineteen, for $50. He lost. •board government-operated merchant vessels not only are comfortable, hut Mary told the judge he gave her the Bake fine life preservers. Their filling Is a soft, resilient tropical fiber known money to buy popcorn and peanut* and •a kapoc,'which w ill sustain 25 times its own weight In salt water for 48 hours. she spent It in one evening. mnm mmm WATCH FOR IMPORTED PESTS L ittle Excuse fo r Passing Stock In ­ fested W ith Egq Masses of G ip sy o r B ro w n -T a il Moth. (Prepared by the United States Depart­ ment o f Agriculture.) The uiuln arguments o f objectors to plant quarantine No. 37, jghietl will greatly restrict the entry o f nursery stock anti other plants and seeds, be­ ginning June 1, 1919, are that either no pests nre brought In on such Im­ ported stock or thnt thorough Inspec­ tion abroad would eliminate any unde­ sirable insects. There is no question but that the chief exporting foreign governments hnve given to their nur­ sery stock the best inspection' which human skill and science enn afford. Fnllures are due to the human equa­ tion and to conditions not subject to change, which make Inspection and certification Insufficient safeguards. The inadequacy o f such inspection since 1918, when It becnine operative. Is shown by the findings resulting from «-Inspection of imported mate­ rial at destination In this country. Data gathered by the United States department o f agriculture show that there have been received from H ol­ land 1,051 Infested shipments, Involv­ ing 148 kinds o f Insect pests; from Belgium 1,306 infested shipments, In­ volving 64 kinds of Insects; from France 347 Infested shipments, Involv­ ing 89 kinds o f Insects; from England 154 Infested shipments, involving 62 kinds of Insects; from Japan 291 In­ fested shipments, Involving 108 kinds o f Insects; from Germany 12 Infested shipments, involving 15 kinds o f Insect pests. Many o f these Intercepted in­ sects nre not known to bo established anywhere In this country, nnd num­ bers of them, If established, would undoubtedly become important pests. Typical of the Insects thus import­ ed, some of which have come In on more than 1,000 shipments, are the records In relation to gipsy and brown-tail moths. Under the system o f Inspection Which lias been established In the principal exporting countries there is little excuse fo r the pnsstng nnd cer­ tification of stock Infested with the egg masses of the gipsy laoth or with the large and rather conspicuous leafy winter nests o f the larvae o f the brown-tail moth. In point o f fact, however, during the period In which the highest possible grade o f Inspec­ tion lins been enforced no less than 52 different shipments o f plants from foreign countries have been found to be Infested with egg masses of the gipsy moth or larval nests o f the brown-tall moth. Three of these were from Japan nnd the others were from France, Ilollnnd or Belgium. Unfortunately these records do not necessarily comprise the total entry o f these two pests. They *represent merely the Instances o f infestntion discovered by reinspection on this side. Under the law the Inspection o f imported nursery stock in this MODE OF TRIMMING Demand for Decorations Is Grati­ fied With Novelties. Difficult to T u r n F riv o lo u s and M any S till Dress on a W ar-R educed Income. It is the way o f fashion to be for­ ever elusive, us it Is the way o f wom­ en to be forever In search o f some­ thing new. I f she does not find charm of new Interest In the silhouette, then she looks fo r novelty In material or in the manner o f trimming. This season finds the slender silhouette still hold­ ing first place In the fushion world. It remains slim, perhaps slimmer, hut the whims o f woman must be gratified by the vast variety and novelty o f trim­ mings, materials and accessories for this season. Fashion has grown very serious dur­ ing the last four years, and It is d if­ ficult to turn frivolous “ over night.” For the woman who is still dressing on a war-reduced Income, It Is wise to choose fashions thnt nre established, gowna nnd suits fashioned after those most favored by the conservative wom­ an, says Vogue. The top coat or motor coat Is per­ haps the most important piece In her wardrobe. T o n woman who trnvels, this coat Is Invaluable, and Its uses are many. When dull copper trlcolette Is made up Into n two-piece dress o f simple becoming lines, it Immediately becomes a garment o f service, nnd Is quite ns appropriate fo r town as fo r country, as npponrs In a gown o f this material which was seen recently. The top part o f the dress to made like an over­ blouse. Tim straight lines nnd unbrok­ en simplicity made It a model suited to either matron or debutante. Four straight panels o f the blouse fall over the straight skirt. Oyster white pussy-wlUow taffetn makes another country suit. The orig­ inal idea o f quilting nnd embroider­ ing it in nuvy blue silk comes from Lanvin. The straight box coat Is em­ broidered all over nnd hns a deep roll­ ing collar ending where two large navy blue buttons fasten the coat. The crochetted girdle - Is finished with weight-like tassels o f blue silk. The deep hem o f the skirt is marked with the quilting nod outlined with embroid­ ery, nu effect which Is very new. The coat is very smart worn us a sepnrate sports coat, nnd may be used with a sports skirt of white silk or navy blue pussy-willow taffeta. MILK STRAINING IMPORTANT U tensils and S tra in e r Cloths Should Be T h o ro u g h ly W ashed and T h e n Sterilized. (Prepared by the United States Depart­ ment of Agriculture.) Strainer cloths containing 35,000,000 bacteria per square Inch have been found In use on dairy farms. The average strainer cloth, o f w hich about 36 square inches Is In contact with the milk, Is likely to contain fully a billion bacteria If It Is not washed and sterilized after each milking. I f the cloth is folded, the number of bacteria is likely to be still greater. Milk produced under conditions where utensils w ere not sterile was found to contain more than 660,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter. When all utensils were sterilized, the average bacterial count wus only about 31,000 per cubic centimeter or less than oue-twentleth as many. Bacteria In milk nre not necessarily Injurious to health, but they reduce Its keeping quality. Certain kinds o f bac­ teria, i f too numerous, also nffect its palatnbllity. For the production o f clean milk the department o f ngricuD ture urges strict sanitation In every dairy operation. Utensils nr,d strainer cloths should be thoroughly wnsljed with wnrm water nnd washing powder, then rinsed In clean water and ster­ ilized by boiling or steaming for five minutes. A fte r sterilization, tho utensils. Including pnils, cans, strain­ ers, nnd strainer cloths, should be EMBROIDERY ADDS TO BEAUTY Cleanliness Is Essential to the P roduc­ tion o f M ilk o f L o w Bacterial Count. hung In a clean place where they will be protected from files and dust. Milk as It leaves the udder o f healthy cows Is clenn nnd pure and may be kept so by following the methods outlined. CANS BETTER THAN BUCKET’S Much M ore C on venient fo r H a n d lin g M ilk and Cream in T ra n s fe rrin g to the House. Im ported 'Stock R eady f o r Planting. country is left to the inspectors o f the states, and the finding o f infestntion Is there entirely dependent on the e f­ ficiency o f state Inspection. In ninny Lavla h em broidery on the side of states this Inspection is o f n high or­ thia attrac tive coat make* It a orea- der, and probably most If not all In­ stances o f infestntion are found. Jn tion of exquisite beauty. T h e coat is other states the Inspection service Is o f n a v y blue satin. T h e em broidery inadequately provided for nnd Insuffi­ Is of blue chenille. Ttfe same m o tif at cient, and In a few stntes the service the side o f the dress Is carried out hns little support and little If nny'effi- on tho sleeves and the collar. T h e clency. There Is therefore the possi­ blue arid m aroon silk belt and straps bility that one or both o f these pests on the coat are all In one piece. have already gained foothold nt one point or another In the United States TIMELY FASHION TOPICS nnd have not yet been discovered and reported. In this connection It should The tendency Is decidedly toward bo remembered thnt the gipsy moth full flaring overskirts with right under- was 20 years in Massachusetts before - It was known. *■ sulrts. Charming face veils with chenille The establishment o f these two In­ sects In different parts o f the United | dotted motifs mntrhlng the hat trim­ Stntes would soon lend to their gen­ ming In color were recently noted at a ernl spread throughout the conntry. smnrf hotel at the tea hour. Lingerie blouses o f net nnd o f net- What this would mean In cost nnd damage and also In human suffering nnd lace are a feature o f midsummer Both white nnd ecru net can hardly be estimated. Only n por­ fashions. tion of the New England states Is now are seen and Valenciennes and filet ✓ Invaded by these Insects, nnd yet tho lace are employed. The tailored sports blouse or rather expenditure In elenn-up and control work alone amounts to mo e than a sports shirt Is developed In wash silk, million dollars a year by the states pique, linen and flannel nnd In many concerned, in addition to nn aiding instances Is decidedly gay In colors; federal appropriation o f upwards of that Is, Ihe stripe or figure o f the fab­ ric la o f gay coloring. $300,000 annually. Milk and cream from even a few cows enn be much more conveniently hnndlod In regular milk cans thnn In the shallow pans nnd wide-moutlied buckets commonly used. Cons are convenient for collecting the milk nt the barn and transferring It to the house. These cans may be bought In vari­ ous sizes. For handling cream nnd skim milk where separators nre used, or even where cream is set to sour for butter making, the “ shotgun can,” Is very convenient. It can be easily cov­ ered nnd set In water and Is conven­ ient to handle. SYSTEM OF CROP ROTATION Successful D a irym e n W ill H a ve O n e M arket o r Cash C ro p Besides P ro fit F ro m D a iry . The most suceessful dairymen hnve a system o f crop rotation thnt enables them to hnve one market or rash crop, besides the profit o f the dniry. Tho Increased fertility thnt la brought on to the farm from the use o f concen­ trated feed stuffs more thnn offsets the amount o f fertility removed by the sale o f the dairy products. An­ other factor Is thnt the same help required to properly conduct a dniry can find time outside o f the routlud dairy work to enre fo r a profitable market or cash crop. T a n k fo r D a ir y H erd. When figuring on a tank fo r the dairy herd, allow fo r about 160 pounds, or 20 gallons, fo r each cow daily. M aking a K ic k in g Cow. Most times It is the ealf that Is handled roughly thnt makes the kick­ ing cow.