The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-29
AMERICAN TROOPS ARE ALRE EADY USING MEXICAN RAILWAYS Ten Troopers Injured in Wreck South of Casas
 Grandes
NO REPORTS FROM
 FORCES IN FIELD
Causes No Uneasiness-Think Villa Is Headed for San Andreas-Is AL ready Fifty Miles and Maybe
 More Ahead of His Pursuers

San Antonio, Tex, March 2S.-Informa-
 ton secured today by General Frederick Funston from an unofficial source of the
 injury of 10 troopers of the Tenth cavalry in a railroad accident south of Casas Grandes Is taken here as confirming re-
 ports that the United States expedition ary force has been permitted to use a
 portion of the Northwestern railway in
 Mexico for the transportation of troops. According to General Funstons infor- | nation two cars of soldiers were over-
 turned while proceeding over a tempo
 rary track around Cumbre tunnel, one of the rails giving way and the cars | rolling down an embankment. Three of
 the men were said to be seriously hurt.
 Several horses also were injured.
 1 No official reports were received to-
 day from General Pershing, commander of the expedition, but his silence has caused no uneasiness at army headquar- | ters.
 l It was not believed at department head quarters that General Pershing's use of | the railroad prior to the receipt of formal I permission from the. Carranza govern
 ment would endanger negotiations now | being conducted by the state department | permission of those in charge of the operation of that section of the line. ACTION BY THURSDAY | Advices from Washington that the state department had prepared a memorandum
 urging General Carranza to decide the
 question of using the railroad without waiting for the ratification of the pro- | tocol. revived the hope that perhaps by Thursday the stores held at Fl Paso may be forwarded to some field depot more accessible to the troops now almost 300 | miles from the boundary line.
 Exactly where Colonel Dodds cavalry is now, or into how many detachments it has been divided, was unknown here to- day The exact whereabouts of General Pershing also remained unreported, but this lack of information created no un- easiness, for General Pershing still has orders to work out his own problems Full realization of the danger into which some If the advanced detachments must be
 moving was acknowledged. Villas known
 ability as director of ambuscades has aroused frank expressions among army officers that he may catch some of the
 American troops in a mountain trap More automobile trucks have been asked for by General Funston, and when they are placed in service there will be more than 300 along the diff ferent lines of communication. This increased number of conveyances will not solve the problem of distributing supplies to the advanced troops, how ever, since a large part of the troops are operating far away from trails over which the cars can be run.
 NEED JUAREZ LINE The shifting lines of the chase Villa is leading the pursuing Americans has
 made more apparent the desirability of getting permission to use the JuareZ- Chihuahua line of the National railway as we'll as the Northwestern railway, but General Funston has refrained from making any representations on this subject preferring not to inter- ject possible embarrassing feature in the negotiations already. under way for the other line.
 If either railroad is used, it is prob- able that all the troops now extend- ing from Columbus through Casas Grandes to the positions of the ad- vanced cavalry will be moved east
 
 except those necessary to guard the main line of communication will be moved forward to join in the opera tions against Villa. It is anticipated that in such event a vigorous protest will be made by Americans residing in the vicinity of Casas Grandes, who, General Pershing reported, looked upon the American soldiers as their res
 cuers" Army officers have pointed out. however, that to hold any of the troops in those regions merely for the pur- pose of affording Americans protection would not be in accord with the idea that the expedition into Mexico is noth- ing more than punitive.
 FIFTY MILES AHEAD Fl Paso. March 2S.-Dispatches from the front, interpreted in connection with news brought by Americans returning from different points in the interior of Chihuahua, caused belief here tonight that Francisco Villa was headed for San Andres, about 25 miles southwest of Chiuhuahua City, favorite headquarters of the bandit. He is thought to be al- ready not less than 50 miles ahead of his pursuers and possibly leading the chase much greater distance
 1 There are several Americans in Fl Paso who are not only thoroughly familiar with the country through which Villa is 1 fleeing. but who were also well acquaint- | ed with the bandit chief in former days. | They are agreed that Villas objective is 1 the district around Parral and south from
 there to Torreon, in which territory nu- rnerous Villa bands, under the leadership
 of Canuto Reyes. are operating with con- l siderable success.
 1 If Villa is able to effect a junction | with Reyes the problem of his extermi: = 1 ton will have become a serious one, as | he then will be able to control several , thousand soldiers, who. split into guerilla | bands, might be able to keep up a desul- 1 tory mountain warfare for an unlimited period, they point out.
 l The one hope at present is that the American cavalrymen may be able to catch up with Villa before he gets much l farther south. It is admitted here that 1 the hope is slender one and will be much more attenuated If the American troops are not given the use of the Mex ican railroads for bringing up supplies. The supplies question overshadows every I thing else now. Army officers here say that upon it's solution depends every | chance of a successful termination to | the pursuit of the bandit.
 Presbyterian Ladies Meet l Huntsville. March 2S.-(Special.) )-The
 women's presbyterial of north Alabama
 is in, session here at the First Presby- 1 terian church, with an attendance Of