The Washington times., 1916-10-29
FEW ARMS CROSS
BORDER, SAYS BELL
Patrol Commander Declares
Both Mexican Factions
Have Little Ammunition

Ell PASO. Tex, Oct. Every little
ammunition Is being smugged into
Mexico. according to Gen. George Bell,
1r.. commonder of the American border
patrol at El Paso.
This Is his answer to the Cabrera
charge that ammunition In large quanti-
ties Is going to Villa. General Bells says
the Carranzistas are getting as much
ammunition as the Nilistas and that
neither faction Is getting enough to hurt.
Information from General Bells intel
llgence department In that neither fac
lion has enough ammunition to carry on
an effective Campaign against the other.
The information Is to the effect that
villa would attack Chihuahua City IL he
had the ammunition, and that the Car
rama forces would push their campaign
against Villa IL they had the cartridges
to do IL with.
That Villa carried on a correspondence
with Gen. Jacinto Trevino. military COM
mander of Chihuahua. following the de-
feat OF General Osunas forces at Palo-
mas, and made a request for medicine to
take care OF the wounded Carranzistas.
Is the report made by a refuge from
letters which passed between the two
leaders.
Villa Returns Wounded.
villa sent two carloads of wounded
q letter informing Trevino that the
prisoners were not deprived of their
ears. as he probably expected to find
them, and that they were greatly In
need Of medicine.
General Trevino sent word back he
could care for no more wounded as he
was without medicine. Villas reply was
that ne would find the medicine when
he came into Chihuahua.
Anything else i want. I will take
he Is reported to have added.
The reported enveloping movement
which. was to have been made to head
or the Villistas in the vicinity OF
Santa Rosalia did not proceed farther
than kilometer u, about three miles
west OF chihuahua, on the Mexico
northwestern. The garrison In Chihua-
hua City has plenty Of men. but there
Is q decided shortage of ammunition.
Villa Has Few Arms.
II Is reliably reported that Villas men
likewise have few rifles and little am
munition. or the soldiers under Villa
at San Andreas last week, 500 had arms
and ammunition. and the others. who
exceeded I'm number the armed men.
were instructed to rush forward and
get the rifles and cartridge belts of
stricken Villistas in battle.
Villistas seized a freight train between
Ortiz and Santa Rosalia Thursday and
started south toward Parral and Jime-
nez, after destroying some of the track
and cutting the telegraph lines.
1t Is reported that force of Villistas
was left In the vicinity OF Palomas and
San Andreas to operate the three Mex
leo Central and Kansas City, Mexico
and Orient railroad trains which were
seized following the fight at Cusihuiri-
achic. Twelve Mexico Northwestern
engines were in Chihuahua. and did
not fall into the Villistas' hands.
Bachimba Canyon Fortified.
villa was fortified in Bachimba
canyon. thirty-two miles south of Chi
huahua. according to reports received
here yesterday afternoon by the United
States army. and has the entrance to
the canyon guarded by artillery cap
tured from the Carranza forces last
week.
There Is considerable doubt here that
Villas main command Is in the canyon,
rs Villa Is believed to be headed for
Santa Rosalia. 1t Is more likely, It is
pointed out, that villa has left a de-
tachment to guard the railroad at the
canyon.
A report was received today to the
effect that Trevino had conceived the
plan of evacuating Chihuahua and com
ing to Juarez only to return and strike
n rushing blow at villa after the bandit
had entered the city.