Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-06-22
FORTY AMERICAN
SOLDIERS KILLED
Reports Reach Washington That Car
rama Troops Opened Fire on
Americans 30 Miles South
of FL Paso

Ell Paso, Tex, June 21.--A detach-
ment of American cavalry clashed
with Carranzista forces at Carrlzai,
about ninety miles south of FL Paso,
early today, both sides suffering
heavy casualties, according to unoffi-
cial reports received by Mexican
military authorities in Juarez tonight.
According to the report, which the
Mexican authorities are investigating
forty Americans were killed by ma
chine gun fire in surprise attack.
The Mexican casualties were said not
to have been so heavy, but General
Felix Gomez is named as being
among the Mexican dead.
Part of Scouting Patrol
The American command is said to
have been part of scouting patrol
from GuZman, returning to General
Pershing's line of communication.
Carrizal, named as the place of the
encounter, is about nine miles south
west of Villa Ahumada, the Mexican
field base in northern Chihuahua.
Later, General Francisco Gonzales,
Mexican commander at Juaroz, gave
out a statement in which he an
nounced officially that the Mexican
command had taken seventeen Amer
lean prisoners
He also said that General Gomez's
death had been confirmed, but said
he had no official reports as to the
number of casualties on either side.
The wounded, both American and
Mexican, the exact number of which
Is not known here, were taken to
Villa Ahumada.
Gonzales Statement
General Francisco Gonzales made
the following statement:
Immediately upon learning of the
presence of the American troops in
the vicinity of Carrizal, General Felix
Gomez dispatched a messenger with
request that the American COM
mander withdraw to his camp. When
the American troops remained mo-
tionless he sent second dispatch
bearer. who was fired upon by the
American troops before he had deliv-
cred his message. The Americans
Immediately moved forward and at
tackled General Gomez command.
"All the prisoners admitted that the
blame should be put on the American
commander for having ordered the
attack. The prisoners were sent to
Chihuahua City with the customary
protection"
Cannot Stop War Now
WASHINGTON, ID. c., June 21.-
Intensen excitement prevails in war
department circles tonight over re-
ports that a force of United States
cavalry and Carranzistas had clashed
with loss of forty Americans and
seventeen captured.
1t the report is true, officials be-
lieve nothing can prevent the open
ing of general hostilities between the
two countries. Should the report be
verified, 1t is believed the war depart
ment will Immediately act in response
to General Funston's request of yes
terday that large force of the national
guard be at once sent to the border.
According to present plans of the
general staff, if hostilities began Fun
ston's forces, as soon as he is rein
forced by sufficient national guard to
guard the border, will throw his en-
tire force of regulars across the bor-
der for the purpose of occupying a
zone 100 miles wide south of the
border. from the east to the west
coast of Mexico.
To Safeguard Border
The purpose of this would be to
safeguard the border itself from any
counter-attacks.
Some intimation as to what Car
ranza's next step would be was ex-
pected hourly tonight at the state
department. Official advices re-
ported that the American rejection
of the demand for the recall of Gen
eral Pershing's troops from Mexico
was under consideration today by the
first chief and his cabinet
Special Agent Rodgers, who mado
the report, was unable to forecast the
action of the de facto government and
threw little light on what was gonig
on in the Mexican capital From
other sources. however, 1t was learn