The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-27
Troops Already Are More Than 250 Miles South of the Berder-Distance Is Rapidt Widening
DETAILS OF VILLAS
 FLIGHT GIVEN BY
 GENERAL PERSHING
Colonel D0dd Commanding
 Advanced FOrces-Trying
 to Prevent Bandit Reach ing Mountain Businesses


 San Antoinio, March 26-Francisco Villa has escaped from the Mexican troops that had checked him near Ma miquipa and three columns of Ameri- can cavalry are pursuing him. Already they are almost 250 miles south of the border and unless the elusive bandit is brought to another stand. this dis tance will be greatly increased by the close of the week.
 Villas success in extricating himself from the dangerous position into which he had been driven by the Aineri- can punitive expedition was related in detailed report of General Pershing that reached General Funston today. General Funston forwarded the report to Washington without making public any but the essential features
 DODD IN COMMAND
 Colonel Dodd is commanding the ad- vance columns that are riding hard after Villa and his men and General Pershing has divided his froces so as to provide supporting columns along the thinly stretched lines of communi- cations from his most advanced base at Fl Valle. From Fl Valle another line is being maintained back to Casas Grandes from where communication with the border is maintained General Pershing himself is somewhere south of Casas Grandes directing the work of ding his forces and directing so f5 As possible, the operations of Col I Dodd. Cavalry is being used along le lines of communication with EI Valle. where's detachment of infantry is stationed.
 Three aeroplanes are at Fl Valle and will be used in scouting as soon as the high winds that have been sweeping g that part of Mexico for almost a week subside and which, according to Gen. ! \eral Pershing, have made effective as Distance by them impossible
 Of the eight machines that went into Mexico, two still are out of commission. They were damaged in the flights from Columbus to Casas Grandes.
 Details of the operations about Ma miquipa that concluded with the es- cape of Villa were not revealed but there is little reason to believe he was radly whipped or even weakened by the fighting directed against him by the de facto government troops.
 VILLA IS VICTOR
 Reports last week from Mexican sources indicated that he had been se- verely defeated by the loyal forces and a few reports stated that Ameri- can troops had participated in the ac- tion. It now appears that no Ameri- cans were actually engaged and the fact that Villa made his way through what was described as an encircling line of Mexican troops. was taken here to indicate that he was the victor.
 Villa now appears to be heading for the mountains of the Guerrero district. Once there. it is conceded his capture will be difficult and should he choose to pass through the district on into the south, there are trails over which he might move his little army until a juncture is made with one or more or his rowing organizations in southern Chihuahua or northern Durango
 If Villa moves into the districts fur ther south, military men realize that the problem of capturing him will be- come many times more complex. More
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