The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-25
REGAINING PLACE
AS IDOL OF Poems
Villas kudacity Wins Him SYM
pathy Among the ignorant
MexicanS.

Villas audacity in making such a
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 FL Paso. it is taken fer 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 if 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-
pearing 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
to this theory, one United States col
umn will enter Mexico through Juarez
another from Douglas, Ariz., 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 it hopes to
throw a line of forces midway east
and west across the state of Chihua-
hua, thereby cutting Villa OF 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, it is be-
lieved Villa will be cornered in a ~
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
SOuIA I4OAA IL ID OCiAOHO0
that the bandit chieftain and his forces
will be surrounded and forced into
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 all
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 Of
the strongest factors in the campaign.
With the pitifully small forces avail
able at present, it is believed the
American forces will experience great
difficulty in covering the 10000 or
more square miles in the prescribed
area of the ~" and at the same time
protecting their lines Of communica-
ton, both from the onslaughts 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 Car
ranzistas they hate Villa, but as Next
cans they solidly hate Americans.