Arizona republican., 1916-03-23
War Department Officials Express Grave Concern Regarding Mexican Situa- tiOn When Gen. FunstOn's Report Is Received
FEAR WHOLESALE
 DESERTIONS COMING
If Herrera Has Joined Villa Officials Believe Other CarranZa Commanders and Troops May Follow Their Example Soon
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

Republican A. p. Leased Wre1
 WASHINGTON, March 22.-Grave apprehension regarding the outcome of the American expedition into Mexico in pursuit of Villa was evident for the first time in Washington tonight, af- ter receipt by the war department of dispatch from General Funston say ing a report had reached him that 2000 CarranZa troops at Chihuahua under General Luis Herrera had revolted and aligned themselves with the bandit chief
 General Funston did not disclose the source of his information and so far as could be learned, no condemnation had reached the state department or the Mexican embassy. Fear that the report might be true was not disguised in official circles and developments | were awaited with tense anxiety. If Herrera and his troops have joined | Villa, some officials believe that other 1 Carranza commanders and troops may 1 follow their example In such an event | the United States and the de factO Government of Mexico would find them 1 selves confronted with a situation so 'serious that it's possibilities hardly could be estimated. A large part of in northern Mexico formerly were Villa l soldiers and with t:lefr officers have followed the bandit cheftan to many hard fought victories. 1 The troops under Herrera are de- scribed here as being probably the best equipped in northern Mexico and they are said to be we'll supplied with ammunition. Luis Herrera at one time was one of Villas most active aides as was his brother, Maclovio, before his death.
 Rumors concerning the doubtful in- tentions of the Arrieta brothers, lead ing a force in Durango, also have tend ed to increase disquiet here Rebellion in Carranza's army, would render the position of the American eXpeditionary force so perlious that every available soldier would be rushed in to reinforce the advancing columns. For this pur- pose not more than 15000 men would be available without calling out the National guard. There now are on the border or in Mexico in the neighbor- hood of 25,O00 soldiers and in the whole of the continental United States the other mobile forces number only a lit tie more than 5000.
 All reports from the border were sent to the White House tonight and were the subject of a long conference dur ing the whole evening between Presi- dent Wilson and Secretary Baker. Af
 terwards MT. Baker declined to talk.
 Before the Funston report arrived
 Counsellor Polk of the state depart
 ment and Eliseo Arredondo, the Mex
 ican ambassador designate, had com pleted the draft of the protocol asked
 for by General Carranza to govern thu
 operations of the American forces il
 Mexico and provide for co-operatioI by the troops of the de facto govern lment MT. Polk and MT. Arredond
 are in entire accord on the terms of tn proposed convention, and the latte
 dispatched it to General CarranZa wit
 the recommendation that it be ap proved. It would become effective i'm
 medately upon being signed.
 State department officials insiste
 during the day that all their report = from the interior of Mexico and fror
 the border showed that conditions gen
 erally were quiet and dispatches fror !, many points were made public to sus
 tain their statements.
 Soon after, however, the dispatc :, from General Funston was receive,
 and then it became known that tn a navy department had not heard frol f the gunboat Machias. stationed O V Tampco. since yesterday afternoon The Machias, it was said, should haN # reported today, but up to a late hot n tonight no message had come from h. a commander to confirm or deny rumo = that the gunboat had taken aboard f,
 protection any foreigners at Tampic
 The navy department allowed it
 become known that the battlesh
 Kentucky, once ordered to Mexico
 waters, from New Orleans and thu
 diverted to Galveston, again had bet 2 ordered to proceed southward and cruise off the Mexican coast in the V
 cinity of Tampico. When the Ke Itucky was diverted it was said that had developed there was no need of 'A additional warship. The war depar :" ment made public no information co It corning the movements of the expe; A tion :n Mexico. 1t was said that SC 'u eral dispatches had been received fire s' General Pershing. in command of t
 American troops. but that they all we iN of a routine nature.
 'e Late tonight General Funston r io ported to the war department that a' investigation had developed there W 'e TO truth in a report that twenty -sev h' army motor lories had been fou is thirty miles off the line of. march
 Continued on Page Four.)