REVOLT BALLYHOO NEGLECTED

Starting Rebellion at Inauguration Time Not Way Villa Would Have Done It, El Paso Thinks, Recalling How Pancho Once Delayed Attack Till After World's Series

EL PASO (Tex.) March 7. (AP)— While residents of El Paso watched developments across the border in Mexico with some anxiety today, some of them perceived that the leaders of the present military activities appear to have less regard for the publicity effect in the United States than did the late and notorious bandit chieftain, Francisco (Pancho) Villa.

The fact that the recent fireworks started almost coincidentally with the inauguration of President Hoover, to which American newspapers devoted their front pages, called forth comment, inasmuch as Villa once postponed an attack on Juarez, across the line from here, until after an American world's series of baseball games was completed.

It was in 1913 that this whimsical incident occurred. Villa was in Chihuahua (State) preparing an advance on Juarez, much desired because of its wealth-producing sources, including gambling concessions and customs collections. Norman Walker, an American newspaper man, knew Villa intimately and made his way to the chieftain's camp. Villa said he expected to attack on a certain day in October that coincided with the opening game of the world's series.

"Pancho," said Walker, "you are foolish to do that. Don't you know that the American newspapers will be filled with baseball and nobody will pay any attention to your battle? You can't run a war without publicity any more than you can run any other kind of a show."

Villa saw the point and laughed. In his emphatic and profane vernacular he agreed it was a good idea. He waited and some ten days later descended on the adobe village and took it.

Los Angeles Times 8 Mar 1929 page 2