The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-03-21
VILLA DRIVEN TX!
|NT0iiRaP
rapid Advance of American Troop.
Confuses Fleeing Villa.
CARRANzA's TROOPS FACE TEST
outlaw Seems to BE Hemmed i'm on
Three Sides by Constitutiona.hsts
With United States Soldiers Guard
ing Fourth Avenue of Escape.


ing Fourth Avenue of Escape.
El Paso, March 19.-Francisco
Villa has been driven into a tran bv
the rapid advance of the American
troops, according to the information
received to-day in wireless dispatch
es from the front and in telegraphic
dispatches to Gen. Gariva, the Car
rama commander at Juarez. Every
thlng seems now to depend on the
ability of the Caranza garrisons to
hold their end of the net. On three
sides of the bandit chief he is hem
med in by strong Carranza columns.
while on the fourth the Americans
are driving forward with amazing
speed.
Villa was reported in the Babri-
cora lake region tonight on the
ranch of Mrs. Phoebe Hurst, which
ne has ravaged several times i'm Tho
past Bahricora is about 55 miles
south OF Galeana. where one section
LOT the American eXpeditionary force
has arrived and is pushing forward
at the rate of 33 miles a dav. 4 few
miles TO the east Of the bandits no
sitions is Namiquipa, which is held
by powerful Carranza garrison. On
the west are the frowning barriers
/ OF the Sierra Madre mountains bar
ring the way to Sonora. Gen. Luis
Gutierrez, Carranza's field chief, de-
clares that he holds all the passes
to Sonora.
Garrison Holds Town.
To the south Villas way is block
ed by the Carranza garrison at Ma
dera, town of considerable impor-
tance as the headquarters of the
MADEIRA Company. Ltd, IN Americas n
concern which has vast lumber. min
ing and railroad interests. On ac-
count OF the Importance of this town
an exceptionally heavy Carranza
force is said to hold it. The whole
situation seems to hang tonight on
the Carranza forces. If they remain
loyal to the first chief, which up to
the present they have shown every
indication of doing, Villa appears
trapped. 1t is of course realized that
he is on ground Of his own choos-
ing, and country admirably suited
for guerrilla warfare and surprise
attacks.
| While Carranza leaders and the
United States military authorities
have succeeded so far in avoiding
any friction there is one serious oues-
tion which may arise at any time
to threaten the entire situation. As
the lines of communication of the
American force lengthen. the prob
lem of bringing up supplies becomes
increasingly more pressing.
To grant the United States per
mission to use the Mexican rail
roads for shipping supplies, it is
thought here, may be misconstrued
by many MeXicans. On the other
hand refusal would scarcely har-
3 ''SiiiH' WIN thS pIOtSStu ueSlTe Oh
the Carranza government to cooper
ate in every way with the American
authorities. The arrival of this cris-
is is being anxiously awaited on both
sides of the border
Villa had reached Babricora. near
the lake of that name in the Guer.
rero region, after having abandoned
30 of ais wounded at El Vale, ac-
cording to a telegram received to-
day by Gen. Gavira at Juarez from
! Col. Nieto Macia, the commander al
! Pearson.
/ Safety i'm Flight.
Villa fled to avoid conflict with the
CarranZa troops under Col. Cano.
Among the 80 wounded who had
been shot in the Columbus raid, and
carried along in wagons only to be
abandoned at Ell Vale. was said to
be the second In command, Pablo
Lopez. Lopez Is the leader whose
death was reported as positive fact
at the Columbus raid. Later re-
ports cast some doubt upon his death
and indicated that another chief car
rying his papers might have been
the real victim. Lopez, the telegram
said WIS badly wounded hayfn .