New Britain herald., 1916-03-21
Border Anxious for News.

news of the battle reported to have been waged late yesterday near Namiquipa between Carranza troops and a force of bandits led by Fran cisco Villa is being impatiently awaited along the border today. A~Astrong Carranza force has been stationed at Namiquipa, forming a
 part of the chain of defenses which the de facto government has thrown across southern Guerrero. If Villa has been able to break past this ob- stacle the way is open for a flight into northern Chihuahua, or the bandit leader can proceed eastward into the Afastnesses of the high ranges shutting | In the Namiquipa district. S News of the battle was received first by General Garvia, commander of the Carxanza troops stationed at Juarez S General Gaviras despatches did not state the number of Villa men en- 4 gagged, but Colonel Cano, commanding 5 the Carranza troops, is said to have had a force of 900.
 BipIanes on the Scene. Interest was shown in wireless de- spat6hes from the front stating that six biplanes of the first aero squadron, commanded by Captain Benjamin D. Foulois, had joined the American ex- peditionary forces.
 Henceforth aeroplane scouting is R expected here to play an important part in the progress of General Per shing's columns. At Fl Valle and l Cruces. according to travellers in the Sant6 Maria Valley, there are plenty of locations suitable for aeroplane oases. From these points the army &,s,- o+o I,c s reconnaissances over the lofty reaches A of the Sierra Madre Range. Il If Villa is proceeding in consider # able force, the airmen are likely to locate him. If he has split up his command into small units, and is @ Keeping under the shelter of the oak 8 and fpine woods that clothe the sides of the mountains, the task of the N aerial observers will become extreme N y difficult.
 It is not alone in spying after the @ Villa forces, however, that the first g# sq9adron will be employed. The
 8 wing men are expected to pick out NA :ampfng places, watering spots and in N onae. cases, pathways over the moun- # ains which the mule trains can S follow.
 @ . KiIneP Considered Safe.
 R No uneasiness is felt here regard @ ng Lieutenant W. G. Kilner, who left A8 Columbus in a seventh machine to go 8 :o the front and did not arrive with A he. others. The aero squadron un- S aodbtedly followed the line of com 5 ratification established by General ga Pershing in his southWard progress 8 If Lieutenant Kilner suffered any @ mishap and was compelled to alight A@ ae was almost certain to be picked #& ID at once by some outpost, it is be- aM tieyed.
 S8 Dispatches arriving from Columbus Ssk say that although it is now more thar IS eM days since the Villa forces at @ acEed Columbus and it has been es- D ablished definitely that the bandit is
 5 fleeing before the American eXpedi- 5 ionary force, some of the residents SM of the town are not without fear that @ he raid may be repeated.
 Pupils Attend School Armed.
 When the little brick school house 0 on the Mesa was opened for classe! @ for the first time since the raid, {
 M number of the older boys came tC M school with revolvers swinging from I# their ammunition belts Only abOu
 8 twenty per cent. of the Al pupils en M rGlled appeared. It was asserted tha
 8 lie others had been sent away iron
 8 own by their parents to remain unti sS@ the danger is removed.
 KS The townspeople also have beel S Impressed with the necessity of main
 8# taining a military censorship, th H lespatches say. A woman who Wa XXI asked the number of pupils attending E chool said that military authoritie
 M had warned her not to give infOrma A# lion to newspaper men.
 Z
 E Preparedness on Railroads.
 San Francisco, March 21.-Co sM opeEgtion between the war depart
 @ menf army officers, and railroa R Officials is necessary for the prope a Transportation of men and munftion