Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-09
AMERICAN FORCE
STRIKES FRESH
TRACKS OF VILLA
Baker Declares There Is No Basis
for Reports that Expeditionary
Army Will Be Withdrawn
from Mexico.
OBJECT IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED
Aviator and Observer Returning
from Front Assert New Trail
Of Bandit Found,
NATIVES ARE AIDING PERsHING


EXPEDiTlONARY FIELD HEAD
! QUARTERS SOUTH or NAMlQuTPA
April b=f fBy Acrupane and Wire
less 10 Columbus, n. NJ, April s)s
That the American troops are on
/ fresh trail OF villa is n result Of 10
ports made by an army aviator and
an observer. who returned today
from what may prove one Of the most
important scouting flights OF the
campaign. ...s H..
Tho flight, made over eighty miles nf
| territory bllhono uHexnlofcd developed
/ Information which military authorities
here considered NJ valuable Importance,
The entering NJ new territory IN tho
unae II the contamination ~ plan
which deuef1i rerrhinR snd MS staff
hRya had under way for ssyoral days
but for which more definite reports
were necepsnry than tlugo available. Il
WAS ths information ths nWators were
sout 10 get,
I Reports brought by TIE sWntnrs
showed that somewhere south ~ fn
teyo n cavalry column Is riding thrill.
| Ing ride which mny equal in Importance
/ that upon Guerrero ~ Colonel George
A. Dodd'H command, The men ARE Hpar
Ing neither Themselves nor their mounts
The ferB we're ht height Of s,Ha
feet whom they discovered the cavalry
column 10 which they were enrryinR
dispatchef fling through wooded can
yon. Thny floatcd slowly down untli
they were within the perspective ~ Che
troops md then, making sure that they
we're American cayalfymen, landed. one
NJ the airmon caught a grazing horse
ana rode 10 the waiting Americans i've
miles awgy without raddle or bride and
with oniy Il hlt of twisted rope about ite
nnao 10 guide the animal
The troops confirmed reports that VITA
hHd hcen wounded bHt wcro able %
offer no additional details.
WIZ Not Withdraw.
WASHINGTON, April A Secretary
Baker stated mort cmphatlcaily late
today that there was "absolutoly no
basis of any Kind" for reports that
preparations were under way FOR with
drawing American f5Feaa from Mexico
TIc said the American troops were mov
ing rapidly south and that Tho orders
10 General Funston following the Coz
unibua maerHate had been unchanged
Secretary nakor made Tho following
statement.
"The object ~ the expedition was
stated when n WAS undertaken. II has
never boen changed No other orders
have been given and tho expedition Is
hnsly pursuing n now with what I hope
IA fair chance ~ early succeFa"
General Funston today reported To the
war department that natives were he
ginning 10 aid IN secret scouting work
for General Pershng IN the Santa Marin
valley and that Colonel Brown Of the
Tenth cavalry stated that winds inter
ferod with ncroplano operations. He
wired concerning tho four men wounded
at Guerrero as follows
wounded of tho Seventh cavalry very
slight. not considered enough 10 report
practically all healed now" The names
Or the men were not given.
Ten carranza soldiers held by villa as
prisoners 1T Guerrero and released BY
Colonel podd have been examined and
allowed to reloln their commands with
tho de facto government troops "A large
number ~ others made their escape dur
ing the fight" General Funston added.
Understand some held for execution,
and seven soldiers and civilians were ex-
ocuted March n by Vllatas"
Purchase 0f fifteen motor gasoline tank
enral Tor General perahing WAS announced
NJ tie department, Indicating the extreme
iongthcuiug of communication lines from
Columbus
Tho department was without infermas
tion nf revolt on the border reported
20 ho hr6Wiug ut iuarez orr the naHalns
of rarrau4a troops ALSO reported alnng
the border
tieueral reuhIng reported ten troops
of ihu Thirteenth cavalry pursuing
vlla ba did mot aita their location
Not Accomplished,
HAN ANTONIO. Tea.. Arfil AZ Can
eral Funalaus headquarters n Is noe
he.i that the object 10 tbs expedition Into
MNta1 haa heeu accomplished Although
Militia bands baFn haaH defeated in two
tuRsRcments aineo American tronpa sB
tered Me8ifa it Was pointed out TODAY
that iHs unite ot fa command hhga nuf
bsen bf0keH. a Indicated hF fgpafts fhat
na fua has all' considerable strength
uHtR es chihuahua EttFs
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