The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-04-14
American TROOPS
TRAILING BANDITS
CAVALRY TROOPERS IN EFFORT
TO CAPTURE VILLA SUFFER
MANY HAROSHlPS.
TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM
As the Army Advances Further Into
Mexico Harder II Is to Reach
Them With Supplies by
Motor Trucks, Etc.
Latest News Of Mexican Situation.

General Funston Friday reported
that the advanced columns Of the
American forces are far to the south
Of Chihuahua City and pushing to-
ward ParraI,' where it Is believed Villa
Is headed.
II these reports are true 1t Is stated
that Brigadier General Pershlng and
Colonel Dodd have taken chance
and are pushing their commands to
the utmost in order to capture the ban
ait leader That the men and theiI
mounts are subsisting off the country
is stated for as yet no way Of supply
ing them has been found.
The use of the Mexican railroads is
still unsettled, but word given out in
Washington stated that the American
expedition would not be withdrawn.
Wireless communication with Gen.
erai Pershing has been re-established.
Reports received Friday stated that
bandits had held up train south Of
Torreon and killed fifty people, in
Guiding women and children, and burn
cd their bodies. A troop train from
TOrreon Is said to have approached
the scene Of the disaster. but without
making any attack on the bandits is
said to have returned to T0rreon.
In the absence Of reports from the
immediate front the Mexican question
has turned to the diplomatic side
rather than the military. With the
continued advance of the United
States troops in Mexico the question
Of the use Of the Mexican. railroads
becomes more and more important.
Major General Funston asked the war
department for four more motor CON-
panies and the request was approved
and reQuisitiOn made at once for the
machines. This will place 1913 more
auto trucks In the service FROM Colum.
bus to the front
Reports to General Gavira, the Car
rama commander at Juares.. still in.
sist upon the fact that Francisco Villa
is wounded and Is In hiding in the
mountains In the Guerrero district, but
there Is no official confirmation of
the report. -
Returning drivers Of the motor
transports state that the troops are In
a serious condition for want of sup
plies. They say that the clothing has
been worn to tatters, and the majority
Of the men need shoes and that a guam
tity OF calico found In one of the Villa
pack trains is being used by the ad.
VanCed cavalry In every way possible,
from that Of hats to saddle. bags.
Forage for horses has been scarce and
the little which the troops have been
able to obtain in the country has not
been sufficient to keep the animals UP
10 the strenuous work, and that at the
present time Colonel Dodd has IS
many men on foot as he. has mounted
From headquarters Of General Fun.
ston in San Antonio it was stated that
1t was not likely the troops would pur.
sue Villa much farther south until the
line OF communications was better
provided for, as the country south of
the present operations was more bar
rem and desolate If possible, than that
in which they now are.
Reports to Major General Funston
from Brigadler General Pershing re-
eeiyed Tuesday state that a column
composed Of the Tenth Cavalry under
Colonel w. C. Brown encountered a
band OF Villistas at Agiacalleutes,
north Of Guerrero, Saturday at noon,
and in the fight which resulted thirty
70 forty Of the Mexicaus were killed
with no casualties on the American
SIDE.
This piece of news overshadowed all
other events on the border and In Mex
leo for the time, but again the ques
. ton Of transporting of troop supplies
doomed up large. With the ever
lengthening line of communications il
has become necessary to send more
soldiers across the border and Gen
eral Funston has asked for NOR
troops. Detachments of the Twentieth
and Twenty.fourth Infantry were sen
into Mexico two days ago.
The use Of the railroads south from
Juarez has become Of the first neces
sity now, and unless this Is accorde,
by Carranza the expeditionary force
may soon find itself In sore straits.
That Francisco VILLA has successful
ly eluded his American pursuers il
freely admitted by army officials, anC
It Is now believed that the chase vii
be a long and stern one. The exac
whereabouts Of the bandit leader |.
not known, but it is believed that HI
IL fleeing southwark with the inten
ton Of reaching the district arount
Parral and possibly Durango City.
-Four hundred American cavalrymeI
under the command of Colonel George
A. Dodd, whirling down from the
granite slopes Of the great continental
divide, have fallen like a thunderbol
on the main body Of Francisco Villas
bandits at the San Geronimo ranch
scattering them and drifting the ban
dit chief, wounded and crippled, t
seek a hiding place In the mountains
over which he has ruled for so many
years