Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-15
Belief Is Firm Along
Border That Expedition
Will Get Started Soon
By associated Press

FL Paso. Texas, March 15.-The
border awoke to-day with the convic-
ton that before another "a hours had
passed United States troops would be
sent across the Mexican frontier at
Columbus to bring Pancho Villa to
account for his crimes.
The one question that is on every
ones lips was as to what part would
be played in the approaching chase
by the large bodies of troops under
CarranZa commanders who are gath
cred in the region through which the
eXpeditionary force is expected to
make it's way. For the last few days
reports have accumulated of serious
disaffection among the Carranza SOL
diers in the neighborhood of the Ari-
zona border who are under the COM
mand of General Gales. Many of
these reports have been extremely cir
cumstantial and they eliminated to-
day in a story from Preside, Texas,
that the Carranza garrison at Ojiniga
had revolted and murdered its COM
mander. General Rojar.
Many CaTranZiStaS Hostile
The stories brought from the inter-
ior of Mexico by American refugees
served to confirm the impression that
at least a section of the Carranza SOL
Villa and were decidedly hostile to the
American expedition. Refugees told
of being insulted and cursed by SOL
diers they encountered in their flight
but no act of physical violence has
been reported.
At the same time other Americans,
especially those who came from So
nora and the western part of Mexico
declared that conditions in those parts
were quiet and that they had expert
enced no display of animosity towards
either the United States or them
selves personally.
Forty Americans Stay
Fifty Americans from Chihuahua
City who arrived here last night by
train. reported that there were forty
or fifty Americans left in the city.
Most of the others probably would
follow soon, it was said. An escort
of fifty-siX CarranZa soldiers rode on
the train.
One of the difficulties in catching
Villa. as pointed out by these Amer
leans, was the superiority of the
horses his men ride over the other
mounts available in Northern Mexico.
Villas horses were described as race
horses" The fugitive has made a
practice of Selling or buying outright
the finest horses available. Another
problem the Americans said, lay in
Z the TACT tlaI InfOuSn lear OF lBnOr-
ance the MeXicans residing in country
regions of Chihuahua give consider
able allegiance to Villa. In the cities
they considered the Carranza senti-
ment dominant, but said that Villa
was free to travel without danger in
rural regions, unless he came into
actual contact with Carranza troops.
Censorship frightened
Considerable surprise was shown
over a story from Douglas, Ariz.. that
United States soldiers has seized half
million cartridges consigned to Gen
eral Gales. None of the American
military officers here would confirm or
discuss the story.
Another development was the tight
ening of the censorship over the send
ing of American kilograms into Mex
leo by the CarranZa authorities All
messages were closely scrutinized by
the officers on the Mexican side of the
border and none that were couched
in code or the meaning of which was
doubtful was permitted to pass.
Hitherto railroad officials have BEEN
allowed to send code kilograms but
this privilege has been withdrawn.