Our Aid To Madero Saves Agua Prieta.

New York Times 100 years ago today, September 13, 1912:
With Federal Troops in Their Rear, Washington Thinks the Rebels Will Retire South.
NO FIRING ACROSS BORDER
Gen. Wood Warns Roth Sides to be Careful — Rebels Defeated at Cochilla.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 12.— The quick work of the American War Department in facilitating the passage of Mexican Federal troops through Texas and Arizona to reach the rear of the rebels resulted to-day in throwing into Agua Prieta, opposite Douglas, Ariz., a strong
    Federal force. Their arrival is interpreted here to mean that all the determination will be taken out of the attack in that place.
    The belief is that with about 1,000 men in their rear between them and the American border and another 1,000 at various points like Cananea and Ojinaga, the rebels will start a general retreat either further west or southward to join the Zapatistas below the City of Mexico.
    It has been reported that this long retreat down the whole length of the country was already in progress, but military authorities doubt the ability of the rebels, even with the plentiful supplies of mules and horses they have lately gathered by seizing them wherever they could be found, to make that march without being surrounded, as the Federals garrison all the larger towns in the interior and have detachments directly in their rear. It is believed that a general engagement must come soon, when it will be seen whether the rebels have secured ammunition enough to make a stand-up fight.
    Meanwhile reports from the State of Chihuahua are encouraging. In a fight which was much more serious than the skirmishes of the last two months, the rebels failed in their attack on Cochilla, and were driven across the Concho River. When last seen they were in full retreat toward Coahuila, leaving many dead and wounded on the field. At the same time the 1,000 rifles and 200,000 rounds of ammunition destined for Americans at Cananea have reached the border, and will probably be convoyed to their destination by the newly arrived Mexican soldiers.
    Major Gen. Wood, Chief of Staff, to-day instructed officers at Nogales and Douglas, Ariz., to notify the Mexicans, both Federal and Insurgent, that they would not be permitted to endanger American life and property by directing their rifle fire into American territory.
    If these warnings are disregarded the American commanding officers may act at their own discretion.