Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-03-16
REGAINING PLACE
AS IDOL OF Poems
Villas Audacity Wins Him Sym.
pathy Among the Ignorant
Mexicans.

Villas audacity In making such .
bold attack on American soil and his
escape from the. small mounted forces
that pursued him from Columbus has
done much toward placing him back
on his pedestal as the popular idol of
the poems and ignorant Mexicans.
The American invasion has given
him the argument that Carranza Is in
league with the "gringos" and the dec
laration that plans are on foot to
place the states of Chihuahua and
Sonora under American rule, after
the example of Texas and California
In all public statements since the
Columbus massacre, Carranza has
carefully avoided reference to the
American invasion, of which he has
received both personal and official in.
formation.
In Ell Paso, it is taken for granted
that the "gringo hate" so carefully
cultivated In Mexico for the last sixty
years. is now so strong that CarranZa
would lose all prestige II he recog-
nized an invasion by the despised men
of the North, whether that invasion
was under the name Of punitive ex-
petition or any other innocent ap-
pearirg phrase.
1t is believed the general plan OF in,
vasion of Mexico under consideration
by the American forces Is laid along
three avenues of entrance According
at
| umn will enter Mexico through Juarez
another from Douglas. Arig., and a
third will start from the blackened
ruins of Columbus.
The theory is based on the belief
that the war department has decided
| to take measures by which 1t hopes to
| throw line of forces midway east
and west across the state OF Chihua
| hua, thereby cutting Villa off from
further recruiting his forces in the
| central part OF the republic.
With this line on the south the
Douglas column on the west and the
Juarez column on the east. 1t Is be
| lieved villa will be cornered in u.
the tips of which will touch the inter
national border line.
Then by the closing Of this Gordon
| and the starting OF the third expedi
| tionary force on a straight SWEEP
south from Columbus, 1t Is believed
| that the bandit Chieftain and his forces
| will be surrounded and forced into g
| decisive battle, instead of an endless
period of guerrilla warfare in the
hills.
| The Gordon would further have the
| effect OF starving out Villa and his
| followers and isolating them from al
| communications with potential assist
| ance in other parts OF the republic
The success OF the plan is admitted
to depend largely upon the ability Of
| the American forces to overcome The
| ever spreading Carranza opposition
which is now being considered one o.
| the strongest factors in the campaign
| With the pitifully small forces avail
| able at present, 1t Is believed the
| American forces will experience great
| difficulty in covering the 10000 OIL
| more square miles In the prescribed
| area OF the u" and at the same time
| protecting their lines OF communica
| ton. both from the onsiaughts of the
| entrapped bandits and the hostile dis
position of the Carranzistas,
The last is a negligible quantity by
no means. Mexicans are Mexicans
| first and Carranzistas second AS Gar
| ranzistas they hate Villa, but as MeXi
| cans they solidly hate Americans.