Villa Surrenders; Now Cantu Rebels

1920

Governor of Lower California Heads Revolt With 1,000 Armed Men.

MEXICO, CITY, Mexico. — Col. Esteban Cantu, governor of Lower California, is in open rebellion, Gilberto Valenzuela, subsecretary of the interior, has admitted. The importance of the movement was discounted by Valenzuela, who said the government could handle the situation.

Cantu, governor of the northern district of Lower California, announced he had issued a call to all citizens of the district to arm to resist "invasion," following reports that troops were being sent to Enzanda, on the west coast, and to an unnamed point on the gulf coast.

Governor Cantu said he had 1,000 armed men at his disposal, including soldiers of the regular army, reserves, and police, and equipment for more. The equipment, he said, includes rifles, machine guns, and three field pieces.

Three thousand Mexican federal troops are reported on the way to Lower California, Cantu said.

The reported dispatch of the troops would be in line with recommendations made a few weeks ago to Provisional President de la Huerta by Baldonero A. Almeda, who was appointed by the provisional government as successor to Governor Cantu, but who never took office.

United States Consul Boyle announced he had wired the State Department at Washington urging that the United States offer its good offices in an effort to prevent hostilities between troops of the Mexican provisional federal government and those of Governor Cantu of Lower California.

Francisco Villa, bandit leader, has surrendered unconditionally after a conference with Gen. Eugenio Martinez, commanding the Torreon military zone. With about one hundred and eighty men he is entrained for Torreon, where they will disband.

Villa was restored to full citizenship and will return to Chihuahua, his old home, it was understood. Villa also was given a yearly allowance by the Mexican government, the report added, and his men were restored to citizenship, allowed a year's army pay and given farming lands.

Villa will return to private life, the message added, and have no future military connections.

Carl Haeglin, American president of a brewery at Sabinas, who had been held by Villa for ransom, has been released, the report added.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Aug. 7, 1920, p. 2.