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INCLUDING Star’s Sunday Magazine And Colored Comic EIGHT PARTS Section 4 No. 544.—No. 20,066. Sunday Star. today; WEATHER. ‘Threatening, with probably showers tomorrow showers; easterly winds. Temperature past twenty-four hours —High, 81, at 2 p.m. yesterday; low, 59, at 6 am. yesterday. moderate —— ——s WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 5, 1915° FIVE CENTS. U.S.TROOPS AND POSSE [AUNT WAR SIAE KILL TEN MEXICANS IN RIO GRANDE BATTLE Outlaws, Said to Have Been Reinforced by Carranza Soldiers, Defeated and Driven Into ONE AMERICAN WOUNDED; BORDER SITUATION SERIOUS Texas Rangers and Citizens Rush to Aid Soldiers Repel the Brush. Any Attempted Invasion—Additional Bandits Dead in Chaparral Thought to Number a Score. Brownsville Troops Called to Arms Tex., United States soldiers were ordered to arms at Fort Brown tonight. An organized invasion at some point on the lower border was feared, it was said. Massing of Mexicans on the river bank at the scene of today’s battle was reported here tonight, - although it was not known whether there was any BROWNSVILLE, Carranza soldiers among September 4.—All the arrivals. BROWNSVILLE, Tex., September 4.—With at least ten known Mexican dead and probably as many more bodies lying in the dense brush, a fight between a band of Mexican outlaws and eighty United States cavalrymen, aided by a force of Texas rangers and armed citizens, ended late this afternoon. One American trooper was wounded. At 4 o'clock the Mexicans withdrew from the south bank of the Rio Grande and hid in the brush, apparently awaiting another op- portunity to attack the Americans. The battle was waged practically the entire day, the two forces firing at each other across the Rio of Old Hidalgo, Tex. The participants were stretched out in the brush on a battle line two miles long. ; The injured American was John Salvini, private in Troop D, 3d Cavalry, who sustained a serious taken to Mission, Tex. Asa result of this battle the Texas border situation tonight has reached the most serious crisis in the history of the present dis- turbances. Fire on Americans. The battle started early today when a party of Mexicans reported to be Carranza soldiers appeared at the river near Hidalgo, Tex., and opened fire on an American ranchman. Texas rangers nearby also received a volley from the rifles of the Mexicans. On receiving a report of the affair, Capt. J. ©. McCoy, in command of troops at Mission, sent all available cavalry to the scene, and these were reinforced by rangers, peace officers and armed civilians. As the day pro- gressed the original band of Mexicans ‘was increased. The encounter today was near the place where a party of Mexicans cross- ed the river Thursday night and rob- bed several stores. Residents along the Rio Grande are relying on the United States cavalry, artillery and infantry being in suffi- cient numbers to repel any attempted invasion if that is the plan of the at- tackers, as many residents of the border section are sald to belteve, owing to the reported military char- acter of the Mexicans engaged in the fighting today. Up to a late hour no attempt at Invasion had been made. Ten Dead in Sight. Capt. J. C. McCoy, who commanded the American forces, returned to Mis- sion tonight. He reported ten dead Mexicans could be seen from the Texas side and that probably as many more Mexicans had been killed in the brush by shots fired from the Texas side. Earlier unofficial reports today placed the Mexican dead at twenty-five to thirty. When the fight ended the Americans were in possession of three crossings between Mexico and Texas in the vicinity of Mission. Hidalgo is sixty- four mils west of Brownsville. Trouble Area. The trouble area today was confined to the mission district and Brownsville, separated by sixty-five miles. In the section surrounding this city troops of cavalry, companies of infantry and citizens worked unceasingly through the day following all clues developed as to the whereabouts of the bandit gang which terrorized the country eleven miles north of here Thursday. Late today a band of thirteen Mexi- cans was located south of San Benito. A detachment of cavairy was sent in search and it developed that the Mexi- cans were headed for the Rio Grande. Fort Brown then notified a detach- ment of infantry hidden in an sd- Yantageous point near the Rio Grande, five miles from Brownsville, that the band probably would come in that di- rection. Simultaneously a detachment of cavalry under Lieut. Crittenburger left Brownsville for the vicinity of the hidden infantrymen. The cavalry ar- rived just in time to prevent the Mexi- ans crossing. but a citizen spoiled the game by firing a shot. The Mexicans, 4 Grande at a point four miles west wound in the left hip. He was thus warned, brush. At sundown, as the cavalry and in- fantrymen were being stationed along the bank of the river to prevent Mexi- cans crossing the stream, five of the band were seen and thirteen are known to be there. Fighting may develop at any time tonight. Headquarters of the lower border patrol will be shifted Sunday from Brownsville to Harlingen, twenty-six miles north of here. Col. Robert L. Bul- lard of the 26th Infantry will be in command. The 26th will be concen- trated at Harlingen and will be re- Placed at Fort Brown by the 4th In- fantry, due to arrive Sunday from Texas City. The territory Immediately around Brownsville will be guarded by the 4th Infantry, two squadrons of the $a Cavalry and two batteries of artil- So far as reported to Fort Brown, no4 more members of the bandit gang that Killed J. S. Smith and Earl Donaldson Thursday have been killed. The num- ber is placed at seven, the last one hav- ing been killed early last night. Regard Attack Seriously. Army and state officers regarded the Promptly hid in the attack more seriously than former in- cidents of the kind, in view of the military character of the attack. It was not known positively that the Mexicans who engaged the Americans in the fighting at the international boundary were Carranza soldiers, but reports indicated that the original forty who fired at the ranchmen and the rangers had been Strongly rein- forced by Mexican soldiers, evidently from the Carranza garrisons in the little towns along the river. Arrangements for necessary rein- forcements for the slender garrison of cavalry at Mission were reported un- der consideration tonight at Fort Sam Houston, headquarters of the southern department. It was not believed among the more observant at Brownsville that the disturbance today was the ope a an eon of the border. Gee Ee Conservative citizens, w! = onstration of hostility yet experienced, relied upon the leaders south of the river to hold their men in check, and said United States cavalry, infantry id artillery on the border wer. sufficient strength to take care of any aggression from the south. ‘arranza Consul Garza of - ville gave assurances that. the ‘faring on an American army aeroplane yes- terday from the Mexican side of the river was not the work of any mem- ber of the Carranza garrison at Mata- moros. Kill Two Mexicans, SAN ANTONIO, Tex., September 4.— A special to the San Antonio Light from its correspondent with the border troops says: “A posse of citizens, led by Sheriff Vann of San Benito, in approaching a small native house at the Aguas Ne- (Continued on Second Page) iN VIRTUALLY EXISTS ON MEXICAN LINE Officials Here Seriously Anx- ious Over Fighting News From Rio Grande. RUMORS OF CARRANZA INVASION CAUSE WORRY First Chief’s Generals in the North Are Rabidly Anti-American in Sentiment. MAY HAVE TQ CROSS RIVER Gen. Funston Has 22,000 Men to Defend Texas and Puniss Raiders—“Worked-Up” Sen- timent Scented. Washington officials admitted last night that practically a state of war exists along the interna- tional border between the United States and Mexico now, as the re- sult of the border raids in Texas, and last night’s reports of firing across the frontier and encoun- ters between Mexicans and United States troopers and Texas rangers led to discussion among administration officials as to whether ,some more positive measure should not be taken than those so far in force. While there were said to be no official advices to support news dispatches published in the United States yesterday that Mexican troops are massing along the northeast border of Texas, the question of protecting the border was regarded with growing apprehension, and army officers even went sg far as to re- call that Gen. Taylor in 1846, un- der similar conditions, “carried the war into Mexico,” pursuing raiders, out of which grew the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. i Serious Anxiety Here. There was serious anxiety in Wash- ington in consequence of the reports that some of the slain Mexicans wore the uniform of Carranza soldiers and that some of the raiders hid as many as 300 rounds of ammunition. This served to recall the fact that a month or more ago Washingtonians familiar with Mexican affairs declared that the game of those who surround Carranza would be to decline the mediation and peace proposals of the pan-American countries, and to create a diversion by | provoking trouble with the United States, in that way to arouse the so- called “national sentiment” of all Mexicans against the mediation which the Carranza group of Mexican fac- tlonalists calls interference. _ Unless there is something of this sort afoot, students of the Mexican situa- tion said last night they cannot under- stand why the Carranza commanders in the zones of trouble have such large forces as they have. Gen. Nafarrate, comm=nding for Carranza in Tamaull- pas, occupies all the border towns for 200 miles between New Laredo and Matamoros with 10,000 men. He has fifteen machine guns and eight pieces of seventy-five millimeter artillery. Gen. Trevino, commanding for Carran- za in Neuva Leon, has 5,000 men. Both of these generals are known as in- tensely anti-American, and when they were assigned to command in the two Mexican states opposite the Texas towns where border raids have occur- red, trouble was predicted. It is well known that Villa has no troops in or near these states, and the 15,000 Mexicans wearing the Carranza uniform who are in garrison in these two states could have no opposition from Villa troops. The statement was made in Washington last night that such large forces of Carranza troops, under anti-American leaders, could only have been placed where they are to repel an invasion from the United States or to begin one. Nearly All U. 8. Forces on Border. Maj. Gen. Funston, in charge of troops on the border, has practically all the mobile forces of the United States under his command. These num- ber 22,000 men, from Brownsville to the Gulf of California, a distance of 3,000 miles, which is seven United States sol- dlers to every mile. While the border raids, now approx- imately guerrilla warfare between the United States troops and Mexicans, have overshadowed the internal political sit- uation of Mexico and have become more than a menace to the already strained relations between the two countries, it is not believed that $f there is any or- ganized scheme on foot to arouse the so-called “national sentiment” of all Mexicans it will succeed with the ald of Gen. Villa and other leaders who have given their adherence to the proposed pan-American peace conference. It was said in Washington last night that Gen. Villa has been in close touch, through exceptionally accurate sources of infor- mation, with what hae®een going on in the states of Tamaulipas and Neuvo Leon, and would never take part in any “worked-up” sentiment against the United States. “Worked Up” Border Trouble. ‘There 1s a strong suspicion that something has been “worked up” along the border, and although the War De- partment has placed the “soft pedal” on such reports those who are sophis- ticated in Mexican affairs last night scoffed at the statements of Mexican military commanders inthe troubled sec- tions which denied that men of their commands were among the raiders. Cartridges are precious along the bor- der, and it is stated that nine times out’ of ten captured or slain Mexicans who are in possession of 300 rounds of ammunition must be soldte [Continued on Second Page.) é je: d_not | possible GOOD ENouGH IN FINE. WEATHER POPE PUTS TRUST IN |RAITI MARTIAL LAW | GZAR URGES UNITY PRESIDENT WILSON} CAUSED BY ALIENS! 10 DEFEAT ENEMY Believes Executive, at Pres- ent, Is Man Most. Fit to Further Peace. CARDINAL’S CALL DEEMED BIG STEP IN ENDING WAR Vatican Issues Statement to Avoid Misunderstending—Peace Talk Stirs Nations. ROME, September 4, via Paris.—The Italian press is giving great promi- nence to Pope Benedict's move for peace, and the visit of Cardinal Gib- bons to President Wilson. In cogyer- sations with various cardinals the Pope has expressed his views freely. He 1s quoted by an excellent author- | ity as having sald he considered Pres- ident Wilson to be at the present time the man most fit to induce the bel- ligerent powers to discuss the prob- lems which have brought about their difficulties. The Pope is said to have expressed the opinion that calm reflection would demonstrate that these problems may be solved more easily through friendly negotiations than by force of arms, which always causes resentment and reactions. Held Biggest Move for Peace. Cardinal Gibbons’ interview with President. Wilson is considered by the Vatican as the most important event in the campaign for the re-establish- ment of peace, but the holy see wishes to have the attitude of the Pope plainly set forth, to avoid misunderstanding, and, therefore, has issued a formal statement to the effect that the Pope did not send any special message by the cardinal to the President of the United States. Vatican Statement. The formal statement as issued by the itican says: “Reports from America concerning the visit of Cardinal Gibbons to Washington might give the-impression that the car- dinal was the bearer of a special message from Pope Benedict to President Wil- son, which is not the fact. It is consid- ered important by the Vatican authori- ties that the facts be stated with careful exactness, to avoid misunderstandings which might hinder the supreme object of peace. “Cardinal Gibbons did not need any spe- cial written message from the Pope, as he thoroughly knows the ideas and aims of the pontiff, and undoubtedly expound- ed them to President Wilson in the con- versation that was had with him. Not Favorable for Pope to. Act. The situation at the present moment, it is pointed out. does not seem favorable for the Pope to take the initiative in the matter of peace, but the pontiff is ready to help in all possible ways in any effort in that direction, from whatever quar- ter it comes. The opinion is expressed in Vatican circles here that the United States is in the best position to under- take such a mission. Weighs Vase War Problem. Persons who have conversed with the Pope says he is giving closest attention to the vast problem presented by the Buropean situation, and has come to the conclusion that greater satisfaction would be attained by all concerned in the war by ending hostilities than by con- Unuing the struggle, whichever side might be victorious. For example, both Great Britain and Germany state that they wish to insure “the liberty of the seas.” The Pope believes it must be to find a formula for peace (Continued on Fourth Page.) Foreign Influence on Assembly Forces United-States to Take Over Government. CARRIES OUT POLICY OF STATE DEPARTMENT Checkmates Schemes. of Alien Agents, Who Are Delaying Fiscal Plans. Foreign influences in Haiti, working to block plans of the United States to pacify the republic and rehabilitate its finances under Amerigin supervision, have. made it necessary to declare martial law in Port au Prince, the capital, and practically all but two of the country’s open ports. Rear Admiral Caperton, acting with- in his general instructions, declared martial law yesterday, and explained that his action was taken because of 2 situation which was beyond the control of the local government. For reasons of international policy the State Department will not disclose any of the information it has received bearing on this subject. There have been persistent reports recently of the activity of foreign ‘agents, and so marked has been’ the effect of their activities upon members of the Haitian congress and government that the State Department found it necessary to hurry its policy of educating the peo- ple of Haiti to an appreciation of the benefits of American financial control with its protection against insistent foreign creditors. France Largest Creditor. France is among the largest of Haiti's creditors, her citizens being said to have about $20,000,000 in Haitian national bonds besides large mercantile and bank- ing interests in the republic. France has not only refrained from opposing the de- velopment of the American policy, but Ambassador Jusserand yesterday assured the State Department of French approval of any plans which would result in the establishment of a stable and responsible government in Hait!, willing to discharge all proper obligations toward foreign na- tions. The State Department did not attempt to initiate execution of its Haitian policy until it had received assurances that President d’Artiguenave would be able to carry it through successfully and com- mand the support of the majority of the Haitian congress. It was regarded as desirable that the principle of majority contro! and the retention of power in the people themselves should be preserved. Foreign Opposition Develops. However, after the movement was under way and the proposed treaty by which the United States was to act as a pro- tector for Haiti against foreign creditors and set the republic in order was ready for submission to the Haitian congress signs of opposition developed in unex- pected quarters. These are said to have been traced to foreign influences, which were rapidly extended. Admiral Caperton had been fully ad- vised of the State Department's plans and had received authority for their execution, and it was unnecessary to issue any order to him on the declara- tion of martial law. It ig assumed that he felt the best way to check the anti- American agitation and insure accept- ance of the treaty would be to take measures to prevent disorder and men- acing expressions against those favor- ing the American policies. It is said by officials that under mar- tial law the navy's functiong will be limited to maintenance of order and collections of customs, for the present at least. There will be no lace- “We Have Great Task; Let Us Concentrate. Efforts,” He Pleads. SAYS WAR WILL GO ON TILL VICTORY COMES Addresses Special Conference to Discuss Organization of Mili- tary Supplies. LONDON, September 4.—A Petrograd dispatch to Reuter’s Telegram Com- pany says: “Presiding today at the first meeting of a special conference having for its object the discussion of measures to be taken for national defense, with special reference to the organization of supply and the transport of stores, munitions and fuel, the emperor de- clared that Russia would continue the war until complete victory had been achieved. “The question before the conference,’ he said, “is of the gravest importance. It concerns the more speedy equipment of the army with munitions, which is the one object for which our valiant troops wait in order to stop foreign invasion and bring success once more to our arms. Parliament has given me resolutely and without the least hesi- tation the only reply worthy of Rus- sla—a reply which I expected from it, namely, war until victory is complete. Thought Voice of People. “‘T doubt not that this is the voice of the whole Russian nation. Neverthe- less, the great resolution we have tak- en implies greatest intensity of effort on our part. This thought has become universal, but it is necessary to put it into action without delay, and it is the precise way in which this is to be done that should occupy.our confer- ences. “‘This conference has brought to- gether in the common work of solidar- ity the government, delegates of par- liament and delegates from public in- stitutions and our industries. In a word, the representatives of all busi- ness in Russia have intrusted you, with complete confidence, with powers of an exceptional extent. I shall al- ways follow with the most profound attention your labors and will take a personal part in them if necessary. Admits Great Task. “We have a great task before us; we shall concentrate it in all the human effort of the country. Let us leave aside for the moment every other pre- occupation, however grave, and even if it should concern the state, so long as it does not essentially affect the pres- ent time, nothing must distract our thoughts, our will and our strength from whet !s now our single goal, which is to drive the enemy from our borders. “‘With this end in view we must make certain the complete military equipment ~of our active army and other troops called to the colors. This task is now intrusted to you gentle- men. I know that you will devote all your strength an@all your love for the fatherland to its’accomplishment. Set to work with the help of God!” . Meets at Imperial Palace. PETROGRAD, September 4, via Lon- don.—A congress of Russia’s repre- sentative men and institutions, sum- moned by Emperor Nicholas to discuss, organize and unify means for prose- cuting the war to a successful conclu- sion, held its first session this morning in the imperial palace. The emperor presided and in a speech outlined the object of the conference. Minister of War Polivanoff, Anatole Koulomzine, (Continued on = Pee) ok (Continued om Fourth Page), HUGE BATTLE GOES ON FOR THE PORT OF RIGA AS TEUTONS ADVANCE Russians Force Enemy to Fight, and Fight Hard, for Every Yard Gained in Eastern Arena. HEAVY LOSSES ARE INFLICTED ‘UPON ARMIES OF THE KAISER Vilna Soon May Be Left Believed to Be Near Behind by Slavs, However. New Line of Defense. : Menace to Czar’s Troops Is Lessened. LONDON, September 4.—Although they continue their re- tirement in some sectors and are being driven back in others, the Russians, on the whole, have stiffened their opposition to the Aus- tro-German advance, and the Germanic allies now have to fight, and fight hard, for every yard of ground which they gain. Away to the north, just below the Gulf of Riga, a big battle is in progress for possession of the River Dvina, and the Germans now occupy the western bank between Lennewada, where they captured a bridgehead yesterday, and Bodedoctmtane where another bridge- head was taken by storm today. These successes, if they can be carried to a conclusion, by fore- ing a crossing of the Dvina, might result in the evacuation of the town of Riga, which already is being threatened from the west and south by Field Marshal von Hindenburg’s army. From Friedrichstadt south to the Pripet marshes the Russians and Germans are engaged in a series of battles, and while the Rus- sians, by a counter offensive along the Vilna river and counter at- tacks at other points, are inflicting heavy losses on their pursuers they are being pressed back, and the town of Vilna, which has al- ready been evacuated by the civilians, probably will soon be left be- hind by the Russian army. Fight South of Pripet Marshes. To the south of the Pripet marches another series of battles is being fought. The Russians along the Styr and Sereth rivers are making a stb- born stand, and the Austro-Hungarians, in whose ranks there is a strong leav- ening of Germans, are finding their way eastward barred on most of the ufront. They have, however, forced a crossing of the Sereth river at its junction with the Dniester. so that now a very narrow strip of Galicia re- mains in Russian hands. Finding it impossible to make head- way in their frontal attacks on the positions covering the fortresses of Dubno and Rovno, which were bases of the Russian armies for their advance through Galicia, the Austrians are making an attempt to turn these posi- tions from the south, and claim that Gen. von Boehm-Ermolli has broken through the Russian lines. Effort to Halt Germans. There is no indication where the new Russian lines are, but, from their strong defense, it is evident that they intend if possible to bring the Austro-German of- fensive to a standstill not far east of where they are now offering a most stub- born resistance. So far as the Russian armies are con- cerned, it is apparent that they are fairly safe from any encircling movement un- less the Germans can quickly throw a strong force across the Dvina, southeast of Riga. At present the Russians have behind them a large number of roads leading east and northeast, and as they have proved themselves to be masters of retreat, mili- tary writers here are convinced that they will remain nowhere long enough to be caught. The rear guards, of course, oc- casionally fall into the hands of the pur- suers. FRANCE REFUSES TO SURRENDER HOSTAGES TAKEN IN ALSACE BERLIN, September 4, by wireless to Sayville, N. Y.—“A special commis- sioner sent to Bern, the Swiss capital, by the Basel relief bureau, to negotiate for the release of Alsatian hostages taken by the French at the beginning of the war, has reported the failure of his mission. “The French government, it was stated, 1s unwilling to release the hostages, giving as the reason that Ger- many has the entire population of the occupied territory in her power and France fears the result if the few hostages she holds were let go.” GERMAN REPRISALS FORCE FRANCE r TO BETTER PRISONERS’ CONDITION BERLIN, September 4 (by wireless to Sayville, N. ¥.).—“Germany’s meas- ures of reprisal for the treatment of German military and civil prisoners in Dahomey, in Africa, where they were compelled by the French government to perform excessive labor under un- favorable climatic conditions, finally have had their effect,” the Overseas News Agency says today. “The Ger- man prisoners have now been trans- ferred to healthier parts of Africa. “Some time ago the German military government decided to employ a large number of French prisoners in the cul- tivation of waste land and in peat digging in northern Germany, a per- fectly healthy district, until the con- dition of the Germans in Africa was changed for the better. It is now an- nounced that all these French pris- oners have been returned to the prison camps.” TRAVELERS MUST LEAVE COINS WHEN QUITTING FRENCH SOIL CERBERE, France, September 4.— Customs agents along the border listen attentively for the clink of metal when persons bound for Spain pass them. Every effort is being made to enforce the government's order against gold and silver being taken out of the coun- try in violation of the order that a traveler leaving France must have no more than $10 in coin in his possession,blous: being compelled to exchange any ex- cess of that amount for paper money. Numerous searches have revealed pri- vate stores of gold, which have been taken from their possessors in ex- change for bank notes, a fine of 8 per cent being deducted. One woman traveler stumbled and jingling sound was heard. The. cui toms officials searched her and found 8,000 francs ($1,600) in gold in her SUBMARINE’S CREW IN LAND RAID KILLS TURKS AND DAMAGES BRIDGE LONDON, September 4.—A novelty in submarine warfare is reported in a dis- patch from Athens to the Star. It ts stated that a British submarine, after threading its way through the Gulf of Ismid, landed a party for the purpose of dynamiting the railroad bridge at Gebize, twenty-eight miles southeast of Constantinople. The railroad, run- -f ning to Haigar-Pasha and Ismid, is the main line of communication between Constantinople and the interior of Asta Minor. The dispatch states that although the expedition was not entirely successful, the bluejackets destroyed a portion of the bridge, killing the Turkish soldiers on ere, Yeturned safely t the submarine. ieee a *