THE MEXICAN REVOLT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 287, 27 April 1911, Page 5

THE MEXICAN REVOLT

PEACE IS NEAR. j By Cable—Press Association—Copyright New York, April 25. President Diaz, in a' message to the Associated Press, says he is confident that peace is near. SPECTATORS VIEW THE FIGHTING. A cable from New York, in the Australia papers last week, states:—The comic opera battles now being fought between Mexican troops and the insurreetos have no terrors for spectators. The difficulty is to restrain sight-seers from crowding on the field of action and getting too near the fire zone. A detachment of cavalry under Colonel Shunks had the greatest trouble in keeping back 2000 Americans, among whom were even women, and babies in go-carts, who were bent on watching the progress of a conflict opposite the Texan tow'n of Douglas, near the frontier. Ronaldo Diaz, a nephew of President Diaz, led a force of 1000 Federal troops, vowing that be would dislodge the insurrcctors or perish in the effort. At daybreak he brou«rnt his machine guns into range, but an English veteran attached to the rebels, with some Indian sharpshooters, crept to within close range, and ,«oon had young Ronaldo's guns silenced. Two hundred of the Federal troops then charged, and got to close quarters with the enemy, but were promptly repulsed. The bullets from a machine gun that was mounted on a house-top fell freely into Douglas, but the United States troops had explicit orders not to take any action until someone on the American side was injured. At the end of the engagement the advantage was with the insiirrectos. The casualties were heavier than usual.