The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-03-13
VILLA CAMPAIGN
(continusd from rtr,, P.g.,

border. W ''7
Transportation OF the relief patrols
is not an easy matter. Many OF these
troops consist N scattered depart
ments that have 10 be concentrated
sometimes by means Of difficult
marches before they can be sent SOUTH
ward
concentration and Transportation
OF troops is not all of our problems
however. We are going 10 march into
a country that will afford US little or
no forage. The commissary must be
adequately supplied
Must Be Fed.
"A Villa follower can live on little
or nothing. An American soldier must
be well fed II he is TO give good ser
vice
We don't gain anything by haste.
To send an inadequate force. insunici-
emily prepared. after villa would hind.
FER and not hasten matters"
Speakinh regarding the course the
campaign will take. General Funston
said:
There will be more than one ex-
peditionary force. although l am not
az liberty TO say how many or from
what points they will start They may
or they may be sent forward at inter
walls. They may all leave from the
same point or they may depart from
different points
All this will be left TO the discre-
ton of the 'eXpeditionary commander
who will have complete charge of all
the forces in the field | don't believe
IN swivel chair campaigning.
Necessarily. the campaign will de-
yelop new situations and the disposal
OF the troops is contingent upon these
developments
or course the expedition will not
await the arrival at the border of ali
the troops now being despatched from
other departmental stations II viii
be gotten under way just as soon as
possible and as other troops arrive
they will be sent forward as reinforce
ments.
"El Paso naturally will be the base
Of supplies for our army III Paso
will be supplied through Fort Sam
Houston. near San Antonio.
8irdmen to Assist.
The general expected that the First
aero squadron and the regular scouts
of the army would not do all of the
scouting for the expedition.
we are hiring civilian scouts" he
said, who are familiar with every
foot of the territory we will penetrate
Americans who have been working
down in that country for years"
II rs the general expectation that
the aero squadron will be Of great
service
"Of course the flyers have seen duty
down ON the border he said They
couldn't accomplish much, however,
for thiCkets and stretches Of bushes
made observation difficult out in the
open meshes Of the travel we viii
traverse. however. the boys will rem.
der great assistance"
Advance duty service in the small
.detachments that are thrown out by
armies as "fcelcrs' will be the most
hazardous work the American soldiers
viii encounter. General Funston be-
leycs
A Fight TO Death
Villa troops will az times surprise
these scouting parties" he said In
ordinary warfare our men might. II
hopclesSly outnumbcrcd and resist
.ancc was futile. surrender with safe
.ty. To surrender 20 Villa. however.
would be worse than suicide Villas
men viii Kill every American they can
lay hands on. Every encounter with
them means fight 20 death for our
men"
Ir has been decided that the First
aero squadron will not attempt "a flight
fn the base Of operations Entraininc
of the eight machines. the accessory
trucks and motorcycles and supple,
began today but was not completed
The squadron will not get away until
tomorrow when T. will proceed 20 EI
pasO
Hospital company No : and amau-
lance company 40. left Brownsville
today for I'D Taso 90 Doe despatched
where needed. They were followed
shortly by the Second battalion Of en-.
g.ue'rs. companies b. O. and 70 There
viii Doe no other movements from san
Antonio before Monday
It was expected hero that "a guard
has been placed over the Southern
Pacific vfaducf az Dcl Rio. over which
Tho various dcfachmsuts from Fort
Sam Houston viii uu.a