Huerta View Of Revolt.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 21, 1913:
New Magazine Gives Official Version of Mexican Situation.
    The first issue of "Below the Rio Grande," a weekly magazine to be devoted to Latin-American affairs, will be issued to-day. The managing editor is Dr. L. L. Pardo, a student of Mexican and South American affairs. The magazine is published by the Polyglot Publishing Company, 1 Madison Avenue. The editor says concerning the magazine's policy:
    "It is a new magazine offered to the public at a time when, its publishers feel, the increased interest in all Latin American affairs has created a wide field for a publication dealing intelligently with these affairs. The opening of the Panama Canal will widen this field to an incalculable extent. American commerce will have found a vast and fertile field the moment the first ship enters its gates."'
    Several articles devoted to Mexico appear in the first issue. In these the Administration's policy of non-recognition is criticised. An article on "The Mexican Situation" describes the present state of the country as follows:
    In limited space we will attempt to present a picture of the situation as it is based upon authentic information from Mexico.
    A map of Mexico, shaded in the places affected by revolutionists would show considerably more than three-fourths of the country to be entirely undisturbed, with the exception of small bands of marauders — adherents to no faction in particular — who have found the moment opportune to commit their depredations. Such bands, in fact, have always existed in Mexico, even in the most peaceful periods of Porfirio Diaz's iron-gloved administration.
    As for the actual rebellion, it has assumed its most serious proportions in the northern States of Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Sonora. In Sonora the peculiar conditions have proved a serious handicap for the Government. The State forms the northwestern corner of the Mexican Republic and, owing to topographical conditions, is practically cut off from the rest of Mexico. It has no direct communication with the rest of the country, the two railroad lines of the State running from north to south on account of the high mountain ranges intervening, and passing through the American town of Douglas and the half-American, half-Mexican towns of Nogales and Naco, both of which are partially located in Arizona. Construction of a direct line between Mazatlan, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, below Lower California, and Guayman on the Gulf of California in Sonora, which was being built by the Southern Pacific, has been abandoned until cessation of hostilities in the vicinity.
    The line which passes through Douglas goes only to Nacozari, considerably less than half-way to the coast, making the line through Naco and Nogales practically the only railroad line of importance which taps the whole State, a State larger than New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland taken together.
    At the time the rebellion against the Huerta Administration was started in this region there was only a garrison at Guaymas, together with a few small detachments in the border towns, in the way of Federal defense, and it was easy for the rebels from Hermosillo (the capital of the State) to occupy the border towns and take possession of the railroad lines, thus absolutely cutting off all communication with Mexico by land. The only possible communication left is by water, to the Port of Guaymas, and naturally the supplying of the garrison there is fraught with extreme difficulty. The rebels, however, are able to obtain supplies in quantity from adjacent sections of the United States and by preying upon the folk who live in Sonora, and, encouraged by the non-recognition of the Mexican authorities by the United States, will be able to get supplies indefinitely.
    In Coahuila, where Venustiano Carranza (erroneously called "General" by the papers) revolted while holding the position of State Governor, the rebellion has made no headway. The first act of Carranza and his followers was to destroy the railroad lines. It is authoritatively stated that more than 300 bridges were destroyed in the first two weeks. The Federal forces, as a consequence, have been delayed in their march north by the necessity of repairing the tracks en route. Notwithstanding this, however, Carranza and his followers have never had in their possession, the State capital, the City of Saltillo. They retired almost immediately to the town of Monclova, where Carranza established his headquarters, and during the past fortnight he has been compelled to retire even further north upon the occupying of Monclova by Gen. Mass and his loyal Federal forces.
    The distance from Monclova, for three months the headquarters of Carranza, to the City of Mexico is over 750 miles. Monclova is but 148 miles from the American border, and between Monclova and the American border line there is not a town of importance, while between Mexico City and Monclova there are ten cities of over 10,000 inhabitants each, all of which are in the possession of and loyal to the Federal Government. Had the uprising been really an expression of the popular will of the people, as the rebels (or "Constitutionalists," as they call themselves) would have Americans believe, it would have been easy for the residents of these cities to join Carranza.
    The interruption of business along the railroad lines on the part of these rebels during their retreat to Eagle Pass was so great than any communities were left helpless and isolated. The unfortunate residents have run out of provisions and have become a prey of bandits and the lawless element. This has resulted in numerous disorders, such as have been reported in Zacatecas, in Durango, &c, which prevailed until the arrival of the Federal forces and the consequent re-establishment of law and order and replenishing of supplies.