Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-03
SECTION NOW DIVIDED
INTO THREE DIVISIONS
New Order Relieves Gen. Funston of
Enormous Responsibilities
Crowded Upon Him.
WOOD Is BEING CONSIDERED
With Name of Gen. Bliss, He Is
Mentioned for Place-U. S. Hears
Nothing of Reply From
Carranza.

With more than 10000 troops
assembling along the Mexican
border, the War Department to-
day took steps to decentralize
direct administration of the eight
een-hundred-mile frontier in the
interest of efficiency. and, prob
ably, to pave the way for the ap-
pointment of a supreme COM
mander to coordinate all mill
tary activities on the international
line and in Mexico.
It is believed that Secretary
Baker has submitted to the Presi-
dent the name of the senior major
general he desires to direct the
Mexican operations, but there has
been no intimation of his identity.
Gen. Wood and Gen. Bliss have
been most frequently mentioned.
There are indications that Gen.
Wood is being considered in this
: connection.
In Three Departments.
The border, formerly in the Southern
, Department from the Gulf of Mexico to
California, now Is divided into three
military departments, commanded, re-
: epectively. by Maj. Gen Frederick
Funston. Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing
and Maj Gen. ]. Franklin Bell.
War Department officials said the
new order, which automatically re-
ieves Gen. Funston of supreme COM
mand on the border and the enormous
responsibilities that have crowded
upon him, had no significance as in
dicatfng preparation for war
Gen. Funston is Junior to all the
other departmental comma nders. who
rank in the following order: Maj Gen.
Leonard Wood Eastern; Maj. Gen. J.
Franklin Bell. Western, and Maj Gen.
Thomas H. Barry. Central
Gen. Hugh L. Scott. chief of staff, is
next to Gen. Funston; Gen. Tasker H.
Bliss, assistant chief of staff, follows
him. and Cen George W. Goethals is
last on the list Of seven major generals.
Plans of War Department.
The statement issued by the depart.
ment follows:
The present Southern Department is
divided as follows, with assignments OF
command thereto rs indicated:
A-The Southern Department, to be
under the command of Nal Gen Fred
erick Funston, to embrace that part Of
the present department TO 4 line cas-,
of z. Paso.
"B-The Department Of Sex Nie-,co
with headquarters at Ell I,as,. Te. n
be esta"iished under the command cf
Orig. zen. John j. Pershins. to extend
from western boundary Of Southern r.e-
partnent to the 1o9th meridian.
C-That portion of the Southern De-
partment west of the l031h meridian to
be assigned to the Western penart.
ment. under the command of Mat Gen
J. F. Bell. with field nead,usr,ers for
same at Douglas. Ariz'
Cen Bell Is now in command Of the
western Department. with headouar-
lers at San Francisco. He also ie :,
former chief of star of the army,
Pending the appointment of an Of
tions of the three Departments viii he
co-ordinated through the War DEPART
ment. Nepoi
Pershing to Remain in Field.
The assignment of Gen. Pershine 70
the command Of the Department 80
New Mexico. it was stated ofic,a,1v
does not mean that the expedition in,o
Mexico Is about to be Withdrawn o-
that Cen Pershing himself will, re-
turn to direct the affairs of the do
partment from FL Paso, his new head
quarters 1t is assumed that he will,
remain in the field for the present AZ
least. II he is promoted a brigade oon,-
mander probably will be sent To ,a.
lieve him in Mexico, unless deve1on-
ments should necessitate the sendine
Of large number OF additional troone
across the border.
Brig. Gen. George Bell. jr., will re-
main in direct command of the FL
Paso district, where his brigade is on
duty.
Retirement Of Gen Pershine's expe-
dition to the bases it now occupies,
probably 100 miles closer to the border
was declared by officials at the War
Department today to be due to military
reasons alone. AT the State Depart
ment it was said there had been no
change IN policy regarding the expe-
dition, although private advices from
Mexico City assert that Carranza Off
cials construe the movement as an in
dication that the expedition soon Will
be withdrawn and that this feeling
may have some bearing on the dip
lomatic situation.
Army officers explain that the prob
lem IL supplying the expedition has
| become more and more dimcult The
I rainy season Is due, but there has been