File No. 812.00/17268
Consul Letcher to the Secretary of State
Chihuahua, February 9, 1916.
Sir: I have the honor to submit for the Department’s information the following notes on the political situation in the consular district of Chihuahua, Mexico, at the present time:
The Carranza de facto government appears to have garrisons of the size noted at the following places in the district: Chihuahua, 500; Minica, 300; Cusihuiriachic, 300; Guerrero, 250; Yoquivo (vicinity of), 80; Parral, 300. The numbers of troops at Jimenez and Santa Rosalia are not known.
The Villa adherents seem to be fairly well disseminated through the district.
It is also reported that the country between the Mexico Northwestern Railway in the vicinity of Santa Ysabel and San Andres and the northern part of the State of Durango is infested with Villistas. From this territory, where Villa operated as a highwayman for many years preceding the Madero revolution, were drawn many of Villa’s most loyal followers in the late revolution, many of these having been his partners in crime in former times.
All the evidence obtainable seems to show that López and his band massacred the eighteen Americans at La Baeza, or Santa Yasbel, on January 10.
There seems to be abundant evidence that Villa is being kept in touch with affairs in general and military movements in particular by spies scattered everywhere throughout the state.
Four months ago the writer believed that it was possible for the Carranza adherents to make use of the then general desire for peace in bringing about an early pacification of the country, since all classes were then exceedingly eager for peace on almost any terms. The accomplishment of this end, however, was dependent upon quick and vigorous action that would not permit the scattered and demoralized forces of the opposition to unite their strength. The Villistas now have been allowed to get their “second wind”, and we have thus entered upon another of the hopeless cycles of revolution with the usual phenomena apparent, namely, the government in charge of the cities and larger towns and the opposition holding the countryside and marauding at will. This was the condition in the Madero revolution, then in the Orozco rebellion against Madero, and lastly in the Constitutionalist campaign against the Huerta government.
While all this is going on it appears that the government adherents are occupying themselves with foolish decrees aimed at the regulation of commerce and the fixing of values to the tons of fiat money that have been issued and debating questions of little present application or of doubtful practical value.
I have [etc.]