El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-13
i, {. TROOPS CAN NEVER YIELD:
IT'SFIGHT To DEATH-FUN5TON
Commander of Department Declares Villa Would Kill
Every American Soldier Who Might Be Overpow
and Surrenders; Tells Plans of Campaign; Ell
Paso Will Be Base of Supplies.

0AN ANTONIO. TEX March 10
United states troops Of the expe-
- dictionary force into Mexico can
never surrender. under any circum-
stances to villa or his forces Every
fight viii be a fight 10 the death. This
was The statement Sunday night of Mai.
Gen. Frederick Funston, commanding
the southern department. United states
army. I'm outlining plans for the eNpedi-
tion TO kin or capture Francisco Villa
Advance duty service in the small de-
tachmeuts that are thrown out as feel
ers" VIII be the most hazardous work
the American soldiers viii encounter
the general believes.
L.. =. Troops Can't Surrender.
'Nnlistas viii surprise those scout
ing parties" he said. in ordinary war
fare our men might If hopelessly out
numbered and If resistance were futile,
surrender with safety To surrender to
Nillistas, however would be worse than
suicide. Villas men viii Kill every
American they can lay hands on. Every
encounter with them means fight TO
the death.
1--WE do not ourselves know just when
the expedition viii start into Mexico,
although, Of course, it will be soon
he declared
sufficient number of men with an ade-
Quate commissary can be organized It
viii not be held back however. until
an the troops now ordered TO the por-
have arrived
redicts Long, Arduous Task.
There is no use going a this thing
half-Cocked The task ahead of us VIII
be "A long and ardbous one
It became known Sunday that the
plans for the campaign against Villa
have been affected by the border situ-
alton elsewhere than at Columbus The
situation is so important as to have
hindercd rapid concentration Of the pu-
nitivc expedition.
Speaking regarding the course the
campaign viii take. Gen. Funston said:
More Than One Column
There will be more than one eNpe-
dictionary force, although ] am not at
liberty TO say how many or from what
point or points they viii start This
win be left TO the discretion Of the ex-
DeditiOnary commander. who will have
complete charge OF all the forces i'm the
field 7 don't believe i'm swivel chair
campaigning
velop new situations and the disposal
Of the troops is contingent upon these
developments. ] may at intervals visit
the field forces.
"Of course the expedition will not
await the arrival at the border of all
the troops now being dispatched from
other departmental stations. 10 viii be
got under way just as soon as pos
sihle and as other troops arrive lneE
will be sent forward as reinforcements.
FL Pnso Base Of Supplies.
"El paso naturally viii be the base
Of supplies for our army. FL Paso VIII
be supplied through Fort Sam Houston,
San An9onio.
Concentration and transportation Of
troops is not all Of our problem We
are going 10 march into country that
viii AFFORD us little or no forage. The
commissary must be adequately sup
piled
Our Wen Must Eat.
"a villa follower can live on little
or nothing An American soldier must
be well fed if he is TO give good serv-
ice"
The general explained that the first
aero squadron and the regular scouts OF
the army would not do all Of the scout
ing for the expedition.
Hire Civilian scouts.
we are hiring civilian scouts " he
said, who are familiar with every foot /