The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-04-19
MORE TROOPS
BEING SENT TO
CEN. PERSH|NG
TWO THOUSAND MORE TROOPS
ALONG BORDER ORDERED TO
COLUMBUS FOR MEXICAN SER
VICE.

San Antonio Tex, April 19.-Gen-
eral Funston is sending to General
Pershing more than two thousand ad-
ditional troops and there is reason 10
believe that even more will be placed
at the disposal of General Pershing
| if the campaign against Francisco
| Villa is continued. The troops that
have been ordered to Pershing's base
at Columbus, are now on duty along
the border. What troops will re-
! lieve them and where they will come
from remains unannounced. 1t may
be that the war department will have
to authorize the sending of the few
remaining troops in the United States
into this department or it may be
that the filling of the vacant points
along the border may be left to the
government of Texas which may
send the militia.
The troops selected for General
Pershing are the Sixth cavalry from
the Brownsville district, the Seven
teenth infantry from Eagle Pass,
troop l. of the Tenth cavalry from
Fort Apache, Ariz., and one battaliop
of the Twenty-fourth infantry, one
company of which is at Ell Paso, one
at Maria and another at Fabens.
Maria is a town just north of Ojin-
aga on the Mexican frontier and Fa'
bens is on the Rio Grande, only a
| few miles from Ell Paso.
In addition to these troops, totaling
| 2.300, General Pershing now has in
his base guard at Columbus 500 men
but the recessity of maintaining at
least that many there is recognized.
General Pershing requested more
troops some time ago but General
| Funston hesitated to order them be-
| cause faced with the danger of weak
ening garrisoned and patrolled points
along the border. He has authority
to move such troops in his depart
ment as he wishes but the strens-
thening of any point from another
department rests with the war de-
partment.
Staff officers here were convinced
some time ago that unless Villa was
taken before he got beyond points
within a short distance south of Sa-
tevo, the chances of getting him
were remote.
That piont has been reached and
Villa remains at large-or dead-and
TO that situation is added an undis-
tinguished hostility of various Car
ranza organizations that army men
here declare makes doubly necessary
the strengthening of General Persh-
ing's force.
But even with more troops the pur-
suit of Villa will be a slow and te-
dious Job if his trail is extended south
of the state of chihuahua, in the
opinion of army officers who say
that the trails beyond Sateyo make
accordingly difficult the operation Of
military supply trucks. An adyan-
tage could be gained by the use Of
shorter route either through Dim
aga or Fabens but this plan, it was
reported from Washington, would be
unacceptable, and the remaining plan
and what military men regard as
the only logical plan, the use of the
railroad south from FL Paso, appears
out Of the question because of Car
ranza's refusal TO permit it and the
reluctance of the administration %
/ authorize its seizure.
Additional troops are being sent
TO General PerShing as much for the
protection of those already in Mex
leo along the line of communications
as to strengthen the mobile forces
whipping the region south Of Satevo.
Marked hostility has been displayed
along the line Of communications by
Villas men. and indications are plain
that not al. Of the Carranza element