File No. 812.00/14048.
Special Agent Canova to the Secretary of State.
Sir:* * * On December 3 President Gutiérrez, accompanied by General Villa and a number of members of the Convention, came into the city.
On December 4 General Villa and General Zapata had an engagement to meet in the ancient town of Xochimilco. Carothers and I were present at the meeting.* * * These men, who had never seen one another before but who had been working in accord for some months, locked arms and went to the municipal school building, where they were to hold a conference.* * * Villa finally opened the conversation and both of them fell to discussing a character neither liked—Carranza.* * * Villa and Zapata then withdrew to a private room, where they had a conference of about an hour and a half. A dinner was then served, after which speeches were made.* * *
On December 6 the joint entry of the Villa and Zapata forces into the capital was made* * * in all about 30,000 men. These troops were reviewed by the two chiefs, President Gutiérrez, the Convention delegates, the entire Diplomatic Corps, and others.* * *
Everybody now confesses that conditions in the capital have never been better than since the Zapatista forces began doing police duty.* * *
I have [etc.]