The Washington herald., 1916-03-29


Use of Telegraph Refused. !
The information that First Chief Car
rama has refused to permit the accept
ance OF supplies by Mexican railroads as
regular freight. is only part of the re-
port made to Washington by Senator
FAN.
He has also told that Gen. Gavira. the
Carranza commander at Juarez has
threatened to execute men in charge
OF the telegraph lines II they accept COM
munications to or from the troop camps
and the border.
The conflicting reports as to the where
abouts of Francisco Villa. whose cap
ture is the object of the expedition
causes growing distrust among army Of
fcers- On Monday night Gen. Bertani,
through Gen. Gavira, reported the ban
dit chieftain to be moving northeast from
E. Oso in the direction Of san Lorenzo
Officially this report has not been
changed. 1t is known, however, that
Gavira has received word that Villa is
now hiding in the Santa Catherine
Canyon. This is a rugged slit in the
mountain side near Babicora.
The alarm felt here due to the re-
ports Of short food supplies at the front
were somewhat relieved today by state
ments obtained from sick soldiers brought
back to Fort Bliss. They said the sup
plies were limited to field rations but
that there was plenty of that kind of
food at Casas Grandes. The sick men
were unable to report on the conditions
further south.
Roads Almost Impossible.
The road from Columbus to the first
base, little more than 100 miles south
of the border is being rapidly improved.
Duban, it is said to be almost impass-
ibIe.
Supplies for the advance guard which
has already penetrated 80 miles south
OF Casas Grandes. are said to be car
lied over the trails by pack train.
The Texas Rangers who went in pur
suit of the cattle rustlers'' who crossed
the border at Fabens last night to the
ranch Of Former Mayor c. f. Kelly, of
Fl Paso. have not yet returned. The
attachments from the Eighth Cavalry
returned early this morning without hav-
ing seen the marauders
In addition to hard bread" which in
soldier parlance is hard tack" another
bread is being baked at Columbus and
forwarded to the main base at Casas
GrandeS and on to the advance bases.
This is known as field bread" The
Ioaves are long and broad, but thin and
dry. They will keep for ten days or
two weeks, and when soaked in water
or coffee distend into thick loaves that
approximate the quality of fresh bread.
More Trucks Rushed to Border.
Unoffisially, every man in the quarter
masters department here believes the
Mexican railroads will soon become abso-
luteIy necessary to proper provisioning
Of the men and animals of the expedi-
ton.
Twenty-seven more motor trucks are
on the way from an eastern factory to
the depot, and ffty-four more have been
ordered.
-Four companies OF twenty-seven trucks,
and a wrecking car each, are already
in operation from Columbus, in addi-
ton to the twenty-five or thirty motor
trucks of various makes that were at
hand for immediate use when the COL
ums entered Mexico.
Each one Of these new trucks will do
the work OF six mule teams of six
mules to the team, according to Gen.
George Bell, jr., commanding the eighth
brigade. On that estimate. one, of these
newly formed companies of twenty-seven
trucks does the hauling that 972 mules
would do.