The Washington times., 1916-03-20
Troops Preparing For
LongMexicoC Campaign
Nearly Twenty Ambulances Concentrated at Column
bus and Military Field Hospital Is Being Rush.
ed to ompletion.

COLUMBUS, New Mexico tyia FL
Paso). March 0.-Nearly two-score
American ambulances are concentrated
here and a military field hospital Is
being rushed to completion. In prepara-
ton for expected bloody fighting be-
tween American and Villista forces In
the mountainous wastes to the south
ward. Army men expect a long cant
paign. and are making comprehensive
preparations.
1--WE expect to be chasing Villa around
these mountain peaks next Christmas
said a colonel. pointing to the rocky
spires looming through the purple mist
south of the border.
Regardless of the views OF the states
men, most OF the officers believe were
in for a long trip. and won't stop much
This side Of Panama. And all say thevre
glad, too 4,
The dress parade aspect of war Is
absent from Columbus. until the raid
only a lazy border cattle town. but now
iashing swords are missing among the
khal1i-clad officers. Throughout the
town soldiers rushed preparations for
fighting Villa.
Censor On the Job.
The little telegraph office has been
vanked out of its corner in the railroad
station. Expert keymen now crowd the
limited space, transmitting army mes
saRes and sending such newspaper copy
as the censor and wire limitations VIII
permit.
The censor, a@young lieutenant, sits In
n corner. his blue pencil poised men
acInRly over the work OF harried cor
respondont. A bulky cavairyman steps
I'M and hands him a message addressed
10 HIS mother in Rochester. N. T.:
eve cross the border tonight. Love
| TO all. Don't worry
Cant send that" says the censor
\ running his pencil through the wore
! tonight. Substitute soon ana II VIII
Across the street at the postofhct
the overworked postmaster Is swampee
| in the accumulation OF mail: Wasnins
| ton may send him an assistant aIt ,,
Congress has had time to null n'
matter over. he says, but for the pres
| net he's going II alone ana slowly ~
| the postoffice, too, censor lnspec's ou'
| going mails.
The old army in blue would have beer
a sorry sight In Columbus: Du qua s an,
almost invisible at distance.
Hinder the broiling rays OF the boruei
| ann Young officers. still humming th'
strains O! the latest army post ioN
| trOtS. sweat COplONbly'
| dig dust from their eyes, and long Ioi
| the Tight All are eager for the IRON
and regard the preparations here as al
| irksome but necessary duty,
| An army aeroplane rises amid It's owl
share of dust clouds, points SOUTHWARK
| and wings after the disappearing hh'
in the desert.
Station Abandoned.
The railroad station, where the arriva
OF a travelling salesman once was
town event, has been abandoned by tn
troops and the army stores. arriving OF
every train and In every army wagon
are stored In huge piles on the villag
outskirts. ..
Since villa shot up the town, The
former $50 Mexican residents have dis
appeared. Columbians guarantee ho'
time to any Mexican visitor. While
Columbus has not forgotten its deai
and the village IL dry" as its sands
the grape Juice and soda markets can
not supply the demand Of the dust
caked threats.
Frame huts with boards over the
windows. shot out by the raiders, have
blossomed forth, as restaurants will
Inverted IN" but the dollar mari
speckles the biE OF fare.
The deep dust OF the outpost OF th'
towns single street is ploved up b.
the rumblinG wheels OF countless heAvi
army trucks. Loaded with boxes AM