Carranza Assails Huerta As Traitor.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 6, 1913:
Exposes, in Explanation to American People, Usurper's Betrayal of Madero.
WILL FIGHT TO THE END
Admits Constitutionalist Revolt Is Destroying Nation, but Asks Americans to Approve It.
    SAX ANTONIO, Texas. April 5.— In a statement addressed to the American people and made public here to-day. Col. Venustiano Carranza, rebel Governor of the Mexican State of Coahuila and leader of the Constitutionalistas, says:
    "Because of the consequences to American interests in Mexico which might be brought by the armed conflict of the States of Coahuila, Sonora, and others which are seconding their efforts against the so-called Government of Victoriano Huerta, I desire that the American people shall form their own judgment of the justice of the attitude of the Government of these States and by a large part of the people of several others.
    "After thirty-five years of the dictatorship of Gen. Porfirio Diaz, the Mexican people, not desiring to support it longer, in a unanimous movement of 1910 broke the power Of Gen. Diaz and in the most spontaneous election held in Mexico since it received independence elevated to the Presidency Francisco J. Madero, Jr., chief of the democratic effort against the Porfirian dictatorship.

Diaz Faction Failed Three Times.
    "The elements of the old Government not conforming to the new regime attempted three times, by means of revolutions, to destroy the power of Señor Madero, but the nation was with him and all the force of his enemies was futile.
    "The discontented elements, in their impotence, began to suborn the army and succeeded in gaining a part of the garrison of the City of Mexico, which rose against the legally constituted Government. The President confided the command of his forces to Gen. Victoriano Huerta, to whom Señor Madero had given favor and honors, which he repaid with tile blackest ingratitude, assuming a stand which has no parallel in the history of the army.
    "Gen. Huerta united himself with the revolting troops and Felix Diaz, nephew of the ex-Dictator, taking prisoner the President, the Vice President, and the Cabinet, and communicating to the States of the nation his act against the Constitution and institutions of the nation in the following words:
    "'Authorized by the Senate, I have assumed the executive power of the nation. The President and his Cabinet are prisoners.'
    "Such a proceeding, employed by the army to cause the people's Government to disappear, brought as a consequence repudiation on the part of the Governors of Sonora and Coahuila of the so-called Government of Gen. Huerta, and from this repudiation originated the armed conflict which is destroying the nation anew, but which has no other solution than that of force of arms. But we believe every right should triumph over force, and we will not consent to the restoration of a dictatorship which will be a thousand times worse than the last.

What Would Americans Do?
    "I declare the above, and I ask the American people and the Governors of their States if such had occurred in Washington as occurred in the City of Mexico — if a chief in the army had overpowered the President and Vice President and assassinated them, if by force of arms he had assumed the chief magistracy of the Nation — would they follow other lines of conduct than the Governors of Coahuila and Sonora have followed? I do not believe so. The usurping President had not been in power twenty-four hours before he took this step.
    "I hope that the American people will find justification in the foregoing for the present effort against the so-called Government of Gen. Huerta and that they will exonerate us of the injuries which may be occasioned to their interests against our will, in the contention in which we are involved.
    "V. CARRANZA,
    "General Headquarters, Piedras Negras, " April 4, 1913."

    The statement was sent from Piedras Negras to this city to-day.