The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-03
VILLA ATTACKS U. S.
MEXICANLEADER WRATHY OVER
FAVOR TO CARRANzA ARMY
BESIEGES Aqua PRIETA

the Defensive Works That Protect
Smaller Carranza Army-Trenches
Patterned Upon European Plans
Villas Men Without Water.
Villa troops invading Sonora ar
rived Sunday within striking distance
of Aqua Prieta, opposite Douglas,
Ariz., and the expected attack against
the Carranza garrison apparently is
matter of hours. Advance cavalry 0!
the invaders halted three and q nall
miles east of Auga Prieta.
Although already possessed or a
fairly effective system OF protective
works, Gen. Giles had his men en-
ploy their final waiting hours addlns
to mazes Of trenches and redoubts.
Not q blade OF grass grows In Aqua
Prieta, and dust whirls sent dancing
about by winds, that constantly sweep
the country coated gray the brown
faces and blue oyeralls Of the soldiers
as they labored with picks and shov-
els under the eyes Of women and chill
dren, who fringe every Mexican mill
tary encampment or battlefield.
The city of Douglas extends right
down to the border line, but Is
sparsely settled for perhaps nan a
mile north from the boundary. rae
ing this open space, the Carranza
soldiers finished Saturday trench
line which completed around Aqua
Prieta a band of defensive works that
extend roughly three-Quarters OF a
mile north and south and about
mile and a quarter east and west.
The town itself, with its adobe
buildings, tents, go-downs and lean:
TO barracks, housing thousands OF
refugees, driven in by the Villa ad-
vance, lies within and overlooking
this eIlipse Of defensive works.
The refugees, mostly women ano
children Of the poorest classes ID
Mexico, will be brought over to the
United States when Villa attacks.
Plans also have been made to bring
over the CarranZa wounded II the
general hospital comes under IRE. =
Trenches, which are the WORK OF
Col Max Jofre, Chilean engineer
are ike the latest ones In the Eure-
pean war zone, and obviously were
suggesed by pictures from nortnern
France. They are serrated with IN
dentations to protect each rHlemaD
or machine gun squad from rifle nre
lengthwise Of the trenches or rag
ments Of bursting shells.
Ridges about five feet from the TOT
OF the trenches provide resting places
during any lulls in the battle, while
cutters at the bottom serve 10!
drainage. On the ridge level, between
every traverse, or kink, in the trencf
line, are bombproof dugouts for the
protection Of soldiers when shrapne
shells come too thick1y.
The three tines Of trenches arc
fronted first by lines of barbed-W1re
acknowledgements, which, it is said, cal
be charged with a deadly current o,
electricity. Beyond this lie fields o
mines that explode by contact or by
electrically controlled firing devices
This mine field until Saturday was
marked by little red flags for the
protection of scouts, work partles anc
non-combatant friends Of the Car
rama faction.
From all three lines Of trenche:
ziezas communication trenches ruI
through the town to the trench IN the
rear Of Aqua Prieta, facing the Amer
ican side. These principally are 10!
bringing in the wounded or tor seno
ing out .reinforcements without e3
posing them to the fire. These com
munication trenches are dotted will
dressing stations in dugouts. whlc'
ho rralC
and frst-aid outfits.
Gen. Villa, who arrived at the In
ternational border several miles tur.
ther east a few hours earlier. talked
with Americans across the boundar.
and announced that he intended
attack the Mexican town rega-des
Of any action United States trocps
might take.
IF necessary fight the United
States army assembled along the Dor
der" he said.
Gen. Villa learned for the hrs
time that permission had been siveI
Gen. Carranza by the United STATE
government to move troops tnroug!
American territory to reinforce tn'
Aqua Prieta garrison. Villa IS per
sistently supervising the placing
his troops for attack on the town.
Four Carranza troop trains jour,
neying through the United States ar
rived Saturday night bringing thf
fighting strength of the Carranza gar
rison to approximately six thousand
Villa, according to reliable est
mates, has ten thousand soldiers. H
claims to have eighteen thousand.
was expected that villa would ope:
the engagement as quickly as possible
because Of the condition of the men
thousands of whom are thirsty am
in positions far from water and Wit;
scant supplies Of flood.
This was learned from Villa him
self and from three Mexican ranch
men who arrived here Saturday nlgn
stripped of all they possessed. l!
believed villa contemplates movln'
his main body into position som
time during the night, following on'
Of his favorite plans.
Villa himself was with the caValr.
which arrived along the border tt
take position just out OF range OF tht
garrison. 1t was during this marc!
that he learned Carranza reinforce
ments had been transported owe;
American territory.
"Agua Prieta will be NINE he as,
serted, Americans or no Americans.
Pointing his finger towards tne
town he added: There is food ane
rest for our men. We may have tt
fight the whole American army, i
necessary, but no matter, it viii be
ours =,
Suddenly Villa asked again If Ii
were true that the United States gov,
ernment had permitted Gen. Carran'
"a to transport reinforcements over
American territory. He then said
"This is the way the United State
repa,s me for the treatment and pro
lection I have given foreigners in
Mexico. Hereafter I don't give
what happens to foreigners II
Mexico or in my territory.