Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-06-19
Juafez Garrison Is Reinforced;
New Mexico GuardSmen
Stationed at Fort Bliss,
Near EI PaSo,
AMERICAN COMMANDER
TO PROTECT MEXICANS
General Bell, Jru Promises to
Shield All the Law-abiding
SpaniSh-AmeficanS in His
Territory.

fsS Hoss,Ne JOURNAL SPECIAL LGsstp wtssi
FL paso, June 1S.-Apparent pre-
parations were being made on both
sides of the international line here
tonight for possible hostilities The
Juarez garrison was reinforced by the
arrival of about one hundred troops
from Chihuahua City, while Battery
A of the New Mexico national guard,
100 men and four 3-inch field guns
and the first battalion of the Twen-
tieth infantry arrived from Columbus,
NJ NJ. To take station at Fort Bliss,
Tex, on the outskirts of III Paso.
The battery Is the first OF the state
organizations recently mustered into
federal service to cross into another
state for duty.
General George Bell, Jr., command
ing The El Paso military district. an
nounced tonight that in any eventu-
ality tho fullest possible protection
will be afforded TO all law abiding
Mexicans on the American side of
the frontier The announcement did
much to quiet the fears expressed by
the large Mexican population of the
city, which is centered on the Kio
Grarde IN the southern section Gen
eral Bell also reiterated pGblic warn
ing TO all persons in El Paso To stay
off the streets in the event of trou-
Bile.
Addel precautions were taken to-
day to prevent the smuggling Of ann
munintion aFross the Mexican line
following the arrest at the interna
tional bridge of Luis Correon, charged
with attempting 70 take $500 rounds
Of small arms ammunition across the
border in motor cars. Correon. who
was taken into custody by military
authorities, declined to discuss his
case.
a heavy loaded passenger train ar
rived from Chihuahua City today car
rying two of the seven Americans
who were left in there and 1000
Mexican refugees from the Torreon
district The refugees said that inI
their opinion the Americans remain
ing in the state are in no danger,
their Mexican friends being amply
able to protect them.
In accord with orders received to-
day from General Obregon in Mexico
City, none of the Mexicans were per-
mitted to cross the American frontier.
Reports from various towns in Chi
huahua ana Sonora indicated that the
citizenry generally is being armed and
that a furore of anticipatory excite
ment prevails throughout northern
Mexico. ON the Mexican side of the
river tonight thirty-four men turned
out for the citizens military drill. as
compared to three score yesterday.
Pcrshng Is Safe.
Military men here continued to eX
press confidence In the ability Of GEN
eral Pershing's command TO protect it
self in any emergency, even though |
private dispatches quoted the expedi- /
tionary commander as admitting that
the situation is very tense. 1t was
pointed out that General Pershing il /
TO send columns in any di /
rection from his line, despite General /
Jacinto Trevino's recent ultmatum, !
If he considers his flanks imperiled,
The dispatches said also that heavy
guards nave beel thrown ABOUT all 7
American camps in Mexico and the 1
field headquarters at Co
lonia Dublan, 120 miles south of the
border.
The Mexican consulate in III Paso
will not be closed until word comes
from the first chief, Consul Andres
Garcia announced toninght Mr.. Gar
cia admitted. however, that he had
sent his wife and family to Mexico
and packed his belongings within the
past "a hours. He said he was follow
ing the precedent of Consul Edwards
in Juarez, who last week took advsDt-
age of an expired lease to move his
home to El Paso. keeping the Ameri-
can consular offices in Juarez.
Il do not deny" he said, the pres
ent turn of affairs made me hurry up
my plan of giving my wife visit to
her parents, whom she had not seen
in three years. But | am still opti
mistic for peace. Even if there IS a
CLASH between our two forces along
the border. do not see that any crisis
will arise that cannot be settled by
He explained that he was referring