Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-24
NO CONFIRMATION
YET FROM FIELD
Report on Battle Expected
Hourly at San Antonio
From Gen. Pershing.
DIRECT CHASE is LIKELY
UNTIL BANDIT is CAUGHT
Officials Think 1t Unlikely Ameri-
cans Will Let Outlaw Get
Out of Trap.

DoiGEt>. Ariz.. rrh .a.-Gen.
y. Elias Gales. military governor Of
sonora. received Telegram today
from Gen. E:nriauex. military gov
ernor Of Chihunhua. stating that
five columns Of CarranzR troops
were closing in Y ills and his
bandits near Namiquipa. and that
with the mid Of the Americans II
was believe that villa would not
be able 10 escape.
Gov. Enriqucz nI>O trIcgraphed
that the reports concerning the re-
volt Of Gen. Herrera were false and
were made by the ''radicais" Ia
cause trouble between the CarranEs
government and the nit~d states.
san ANTONIO. TeN.. March
II. - Reports from Mexican
sources that Villa had been de-
feated bv American and Mexican
troops at Fl Oso, near Namiqui-
pa. were accepted by Gen. Funs-
ton today as probably true. al
though no confirmation bv Gen.
Pcrshins had been received.
Improvement in the working
OF the wireless made it appear
likely that Gen. PershinS would
break his fifth day of silence re-
sarding operations south OF Casas
Grandes by rendering an account
OF the engagement at FL Oso.
Direct Chase Now Proba BILE.
Untu now the operations against
Villa have been nothing more than a
of location. Three cavalry
detachments have been working south
ward along widely separated trails. but
the opportunity for direct chase now is
offered, ii was indicated by staff Of
ficers who have followed the details Of
the pursuit
Nothing new WAS learned here OF the
uprising of Gen. Luis Herrera.
Wants More Signal Corps Men.
4 request from Gen. Pershing for ad-
ditional Signal Corps men for service
along his main line of communication
was received today at Gen Funstons
but no direct report came
Of his operations south of tasas Gran
dcs Company ! of the Signal Corps
has been sent from I;l I'aso for serN-
ice south of columbus.
Evident relief WAS manifest at Gen.
r'uuston's headquarters when II WAS
learned that Consul Letcher at Chihua-
hua had sent d-nItti thc reported
detection of Gen. Herrera
No Confirmation at Ell Paso.
Ell PASO. Tex, March 24.-No word
had come to military headquarters here
early today to confirm a report that
American troops and the Carranza
army had surrounded Villa and his men
and that battle was imminent.
Early today Andres Garcia. the Car
rama consul here, displayed kilograms
which he said he had received from
Gen Bertani at Casas Grandes an
nouncing that villa was surrounded at
I;l Oso, a ranch five miles south of
by the Joint American and
carranZa troops, and That a decisive
battle was imminent.
Gen. Bell. commanding the United
States troops here. received this re-
port in silence. His only comment was
that he would wait until he heard di-
rectly from Gen Pershing. who is lead
ing the punitive expedition of Gen.
Funston before making any statement
on the situation. There was frank
skepticism among other United States
, ,rp,y officers although il WAS admitted
that advance detachments of the Amer
lean troops might easily have reached
by this time if they had
anything like the speed
With which they had made the first
hundred miles OF their march.
The American crew OF a train which
,rrived al JuareZ early today from
'asas GrandeS reported that all was
luet at the latter town when they
eft there. They aid that there We're
many American soldiers IN town from
camp nearby, and that the natives
eemed pleased at their presence as
hey spent more real silver money than
lad been seen in casas Grandes for
many months.
Cannot Explain Wire Cutting.
The trainmen could throw no light
pon the cutting of the wires at the
lexican Northwestern railroad. which
,as reported some days ago by Gen.
;syira They said the trip was un-
yentful. and that they saw no signs
IFS Nothing was known al Casas
randes when they left there yesterday
$ to any fighting at Namiquipa or
lsewhere.
Two Mormon colonists who arrived