The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-21

RGINIAN-W EDNESl
ject to apprehension ana execution,
but 80 far as known. only a single
man personally connected with, this
massacre has been brought to justice
by Mexican authorities.
VILLAS ACTIVITIES
REMAIN UNRINDERED.
Within a month after the barbarous
slaughter OF inoEcnsive Americans. II
was notorious that Villa vaG OPT rating
within twenty miles of Cus!huiriachic,
and publicly stated that his purpose
was TO destroy American lives and
property. Despite repeated and insla-
tent demands that military protection
should be furnished to Americans, VII
la openly carried on his operations.
constantly approaching closer and
closer to the border. He was. not in
tercepted, nor were his novene nts i'm
pedod by troops of the de faeto gov
ernment, and no erectual attempt was
made to Illustrate his hostile designs
against Americans, Villas un-
Lindered activities cuiu1;nascd la tac
unprovoked and cOi6bioo6cd ATTACK
upon Alaerican soldiers aGd citizens
L., the town Cd Coiu .abas on the nigas
OF March o. After nurdering
burning ard rlundorIag. Villa and his
bandits, fleeing south. passed within
sight of the Carrancista military post
at Casas Grandes and no effort vas
made te stop him by the officers and
garrison of the de facto government
stationed there t,s'
!. in the face of these iepredations.
/, the Perpetrators of which Gem
eral Carranza was unable. or possibly,
considcrcd II inadvisatle TO apprehen
and. punish, the United States had no
recourse other than to employ force
TO dispense the bands Of Mexican out
laws who were, with increasing bold
ness, system atically ralding across the
! international boundary.
AMERICAN PURSUIT Is
HALTED BI MExICANs.
The marauders engaged in the at
tack on Columbus were driven back
across the border By American cavaI.
ry, and subsequently,. as soon as
sufficient force to cope with the band
could te~coiiected. wire pursued into
N 1xico IN an effort TO capture or de-
s:ror them. . American forces pur-
sAoa the iawless bands as far as Par
al, where the pursuit was halted b.
me hostility OF Moxicans, Presumed 10
b loyal 30 M d. factor government,
who arraycG themselves on the side
Of outla*ry and became In effect the
protectors OF Villa and his band.
In this manner and for thcse reasons
have the American forces entered Mea-
lean territory.
Knowing fully the circumstances set
! forth, the dc facto government which
compelled this government to act: and
a.
sentiments OF hostility toward the ok
petition and to impute 10 this gov
eminent Interior motives for the con-
tinued presence of. American troops on
Mexican soil
1t Is charged that these troops
crossed the frontier without hrst OBJ
taining the consent or permission OF
the de facto government: Obviously,
as immediate action alone could avail,
there was no opportunity to reach an
agreement lother than that of March
1918 now repudiated by General Car
ranzD prior to the entrance of such
an expedition into Mexico IL the ex-
petition was to be effective
Subsequent events and correspond
ence have demonstrated 10 the satisfac-
tion of this government that General
Carranxa would not have entered into
any agreement providing for an ef-
fective plan for the capture and de-
struction of the villa bands.
While the American troops were
moving rapidly southwark In pursuit
of the raiders. 1t was the form and
nature of the agreement that occupied
the attention OF General Carranza
rather than the practical object which
lions that could be imposed upon the
A ry,a fcrrAx 70
ress rather than the obstacles that
could be raised to prevent the escape
of the outlaws
A LONG LIST OF BROKEN
PLEDGES BROUGHT TO MIND.
Shortly after - the conferences
between Generals Scott Funston and
obregon began at Ell PasV during
which they signed. on May q pro-
tect OF a memorandum al referendum
regarding the withdrawal of Ameri-
can troops. The context of your
note gives the impression that, the
object of the expedition being admit
teddy accomplished. the United States
had agreed in the memorandum to be-
gin the withdrawal of its troops. The
memorandum shows. however. that II
was not alone on account of partial
dispersion of the bandits that X was
Il
American forces. hut equally on ac-
count of the assurances OF the Mexican
government that their forces we're "at
the present time being augmented and
strengthened to such an extent that
they will be able to prevent any dis
orders occurring in Mexico that would
in any way endanger American tc.ri-
tory" and that they would continue
ITO. diu Senuy pprsue, capture pr dcstroc,L.
any lawless bands of bandits that MAJ
still exist or hereafter exist in he
northern part of Mexico. and that ii
would make a proper distribution OF
such of it's forces az may be neces-
sary to prevent the possibility Of In
vasion of American territory from
Mexico,
1t was because of these assurances
and because of General SCOTS conf
dence that they would be carried odt
that he stated in the memorandum that
the American forces woull be 'gradu-
ally withdrawn
II Is to be noted that. while tho
American government was willing to
ratify this Agreement General Car