Columbus 1916

National /History 1/2

The war statement to USA.

Columbus 1916

By: Carlos Damian                                             March 12, 2016

In letter to Zapata, accusation Villa to the traitorous of the revolution: Carranza

Mexico. -  The assault of the 9 of March against the population of Columbus, New Mexico, accomplished by a small army of 480 soldiers of Villa has been motive of many studies. Due to the fact that the bibliography of the topic is wide, they can be seen some aspects that they have remained veil between the lucubration of the moment. This stage of the history does not has a correct dimension in spite of the fact that authors as: Paco Taibo II, and Ruben Osorio they have presented it with new interpretive elements. Though may not have been unleashed the war between the two countries, after of the assault on Columbus, The States, we can suppose by the great quantity of indicia that were found Mexico with an implicit war statement against The States. So that it will be necessary to understand it can be begun with two determinant facts in the spirit state, and the decisions provided by the General Villa: the recognition of Washington to the government of Venustiano Carranza of conservative origin and with the military support of The States to the troops of Carranza in the Agua Prieta combat, Sonora. To be located this event in the World War II, it is understood because the government of Washington recognizes to the government of Venustiano Carranza in October of 1915. The agreements that had Germany with Victoriano Huerta and Pascual Orozco clarify the situation in the one which the president Wilson must face this favorable situation to the military interest of the Germany of the World War I. Villa letter to Zapata After recognizing to Carranza 5 of November of 1915, Villa in a manifesto from Naco town, in Sonora, accuses Carranza of be a traitor to the country, and he was predicting that this government would not be consolidated by the caprice of Henry Wilson, and in this written was denouncing that was more ambitious and traitorous than Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, since was delivering all the national territory to the Yankees. To be extended in his written Villa was mentioning that never had aspired to political charges and to charges of government, and that none of the chiefs of his army "Los Dorados" had aspired to those corruptive charges. "Because well it was knowing the people that between my soldiers do not people that appear professional politicians neither employment - maniacal indurated, nor did and people that aspires to the president charge disappoint, neither men of government, in a word. All are craftsmen, peasants, worker, or small merchants, humble personnel, or intellectual worthy that never we have lived of the budget neither we intend to live of it".  After a list of nine topics, presented with transfers that had granted Carranza to the government of The States to change of the recognition. Between other ideas manifested in the written, are seen the following:  a). Grant by 99 years of the Magdalena Bay, of the railway of Tehuantepec and of the deposits requested in the oil zone;  b).  Grant so that the government of The States decide the names  of the Governance, Relationships and Estate ministries; c). Control of the national railways until remain covered the debt of the bonds that possesses the guideline in New York. Below indicates that it would fill many pages if is devoted to comment widely the ignominious grants, anti-patriots and brutally infamous that had made thousand traitorous times Carranza, trampling the national sovereignty, and outraging the dignity and being forgotten completely to the luminous examples to the history, and that that mean honor and shame. Their valuable document ends, with: "That the history define responsibilities (…) I direct me those which love of truth our traditions (…) them I speak as Mexican, to request them that watch by the national honor, protesting against the sale of the country. In the San Geronimo hacienda, about 8 of January of 1916, in Chihuahua was written part of our history, a letter that was going directed to Emiliano Zapata that Villa wrote and never arrived to its destination. Part of the irony in this destination were that the Yankees found the letter, together with other documents in the assault on Columbus. This letter sent to the State Department stayed filed and lost during 59 years in Washington, until in 1975 found it the historian E. Bruce White and it decided to publish the letter in The Muddied Waters of Columbus, New Mexico. This document, says to the letter: "D. Emiliano Zapata, where is found. My dear friend: I suppose that there has of be well-informed about the general situation of our country; but if by any circumstance is out of touch of the events that lately they have been developed in the north part of the Republic, you go it to permit me to make of your knowledge to you below". Army of the North in action "As I announced to you in several letters that I had the pleasure of directing to you Aguascalientes, Torreon and other points, the new campaign plan that in that era we decided to develop the generals of the Army of the North, was consisting of returning to find all the forces of my command Chihuahua State, to invade immediately to that of Sonora, to end there the campaign that against the enemy had begun the Convencion forces that operate in such entity and me I will carry them jointly with my column by Sinaloa, Tepic, Jalisco and Michoacan, until having the pleasure of arriving where you is found. Naturally that this movement was offering me facilities and advantages, by virtue of be found the principal kernel of Carranza forces to the command Obregon between San Luis Potosí. Zacatecas, Saltillo and Monterrey, where had achieved let them bottled by means of intrepid and daring movements of my troops that destroyed the communication process, preventing to the all enemy rapid advance movement setback. Unfortunately, my projects were seen frustrated because the enemy counted on the cheeky and improper support of the American government. I excuse to say to you the countless penalties that suffered my forces in a session from 25 days through the arid and abrupt Sierra Madre, transporting 42 great caliber cannons by where there is no cartwright roads and until is hindered the step of the horseman. But all these vicissitudes were expired by my troop with the own stoicism of the soldier that struggle by convictions, and finding us Agua Prieta immediacy and in eves of assaulting it, arrived to the enemy, by American territory, and in trains, a reinforcement of 5  thousand Carranza forces that the government of The States permitted to happen". “It can be registered greater act of offense for the people and assault on their national sovereignty? For an excessive sensitivity feature and dignity by part mine and wishing to avoid a conflict armed with The States, I prevented to my forces that are launched indeed on American territory, as were wanting to make it with all justification, to punish to all those that with impunity was mocked of our sacrifices without more right than that of the force. While continue my advance toward the squares located throughout the frontier in the Sonora State, the Carranza forces was mobilized in trains by Mexican territory in order to assault me and to occupy them before that I. At Nogales, with a cynicism and sauciness that shames and makes to explode in cholera, the propriety and dignity of my race, the American soldiers, to be approached the Carranza forces and being used by the confusion that was reigning in those moments, made fire on our troops. Finding me already as compared to Hermosillo I knew that the enemy, counting on the help of the Americans, was thinking be mobilized in trains by The States to take Juarez City. As upon achieving it was depriving me of my provisioning base and was prejudicing me with this largely, I tried to preventing it, directing me suddenly Chihuahua State through the Sierra Madre. By far motives could not arrive on time. To be continued. (La Jornada, sociedad, p. 30, March 12, 2016).