"15 Days to Live"?

England is nicer in lots of ways than Mexico, so much nicer that last week the civilian leader of the latest Mexican Revolution, Senor Don Gilberto Valenzuela, must have devoutly wished himself back at the Court of St. James's, strutting again in silk knee breeches with a cordon across his chest as Mexican Envoy Extraordinary & Minister Plenipotentiary. Instead he was desperately striving in the state of Sonora, first to bolster up civilian support for the army of his chief-of-staff, General Gonzalo Escobar, and second with the forlorn project of despatching to President Herbert Hoover a request that the ten most northerly states of Mexico be recognized as having seceded from the Mexican Union, and as constituting the Republica Mexicana de Obregon.

Thus by a gesture intended principally for local effect, Chief Rebel Valenzuela sought to identify himself with the magic name of his old heroic friend, General Alvaro Obregon, who was assassinated last year shortly after his re-election as President of Mexico (TIME, July 30). Last week indeed the murdered President's widow, Senora Maria Tapita Obregori, was understood to have added a letter of fervent supplication to the documents despatched by Senor Valenzuela to Washington.

Of course it was all in vain. President Herbert Hoover had long since cast his sympathies against the rebels and on the side of squarejawed, gnarled-fisted President of Mexico Senor Emilio Portes Gil. Just to make assurance doubly ironclad, Secretary of State Frank Billings Kellogg told correspondents that "under no circumstances" would the State Department recognize the soi-disant and really nonexistent Valenzuela government.

Undaunted the rebels opened at No. 66 Beaver St., Manhattan, an office which was called a' "consulate" by the. self-styled "Consul," Senor A. Jiminez. When reporters dropped in, the Consul assured them that merchandise shipped from the U.S. to Sonora and other states controlled by the rebels would be subject to a heavy fine unless registered with the consulate. Strolling back to their press rooms, and eying latest despatches from Mexico, the reporters could see at a glance how little founded were the pretensions of the Consul and his government to Power.

This perhaps was unfortunate, for Senor Don Gilberto Valenzuela, who was Mexican Minister in London until late December last, is a really brilliant lawyer, a keen chess-player, teetotaler, nonsmoker, and a civilian, whereas Mexican governments are traditionally composed of militarists, traditionally corrupt. The nickname which his enemies have fastened upon him, El Capitan de los Cristeros, correctly indicates his Catholic sympathies, but is cruelly unjust in its literal connotations, "The Captain of the Christers."

Calles after Escobar. "I give the revolution ten or 15 days more to live," said President Portes Gil in Mexico City. "Our troops will capture Torreon, and after that it will be just a chase."

The chase was on already, with War Minister Plutarco Elias Calles personally in the field with 50,000 troops, advancing relentlessly northward toward Torreon, held by General Gonzalo Escobar with not more than 10,000 Insurrectos. It was General Calles who as President (1924-28) sent in 1925 to the Court of St. James's, because of the influence of National Hero Obregon, the chief civilian rebel, ex-Minister of the Interior Gilberto Valenzuela. General Escobar himself was until some three weeks ago a supposedly loyal officer in the federal army. Thus all the commanders in the field, last week, as well as the civilian officials in the rear, know each other as well as so many roosters in a barnyard. A grotesque and typical touch was added by General Joaquin Amaro, who was War Minister when the revolution broke but quickly resigned in order that Political Boss & Experienced General Plutarco Elias Calles could leap into supreme command of the Ministry of War. Last week Party Henchman Joaquin Amaro, having hurt his left eye playing Pelota (handball), was rushing across the U.S. to be treated at Rochester, Minn., in the famed Mayo clinic, but found time to telegraph President Portes Gil that "his only regret" was that he could not be in on the fighting.

As the week advanced General Calles and his 50,000 seized the important city of Durango from craven rebels who struck not a single blow. General Calles then strengthened his position by seizing the important railway junction of Canitas, and moved upon the rebel war base, Torreon. Progress became slower now, for the fleeing rebels were tearing up railway tracks and dynamiting bridges. Nonetheless, by commandeering motor trucks and putting his men to forced marches, the War Minister advanced upon Torreon, swiftly routing rebel forces.

Rebels Shot. Following the recapture of Mexico's great oil port Vera Cruz from the rebels last fortnight, a series of courtsmartial for the officers who surrendered was held and last week five generals were sentenced to death and immediately executed by firing squads. Among these was Manuel Aguirre, brother of the rebel captor of Vera Cruz, famed General Jesus Maria Aguirre, who was in headlong flight last week toward the Mexican Peninsula of Yucatan. Fast following Federalistas came upon a large valise abandoned by General Jesus, burst it impetuously open and found several dozen suits of softest silk male underwear, hand embroidered with the monogram of General Jesus. Surrendered rebel officers jailed numbered 74, and in Mexico City and Vera Cruz the mansions of rebel generals were seized by the government, which announced that they would be sold at public auction.

Arms to Mexico. Early in the week officials of the Winchester and Remington Arms factories were understood to have used pungent language in describing President Herbert Hoover's sagacious sale of 10,000 outmoded Enfield rifles to Mexico (TIME, March 18). What was this if not putting the War Department into keenest, price cutting competition with U.S. manufacturers of lethal weapons? Later two solid carloads of Winchester automatic rifles and ammunition were despatched toward the Rio Grande, and a like Remington shipment was called "Imminent."