The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-25
Pershing Reports That Two of His Columns Are Near Namiquir May Have Already Occurred
NO CONFIRMATION
 OF REPORTED STAND
 OF BANDITS AT FL OSO
Pershing Having Trouble Provisioning His Forces. Must Use F 'lway or Have More Motor Trucks

San Antonio, Tex, March 24-Genera Pershings S report to General Funston thai two columns of his expeditionary force were in the vicinity of Namiqupa, 12t miles south of Casas Grandes, and re- peated reports from Mexican sources thai Villa. with a comparatively small force had been forced to stand at Fl Oso, near there, caused officers here to expect news at any moment of battle. General tun- ston thought it probable an engagement might already have occurred.
 General Pershing referred today for the first time since last Monday, to hls ! operations south of Casas Grandes' put his report contained little information ana none concerning any encounter between Villa and American forces or the troops of the de facto government. He sald Villa had last been reported at Naini- quipa.
 His report, dated today, reached Co l,,,nhus bv wireless and was transmitted by telegraph to Fort sam Houston. ' vas taken by army officers here 10 it- dicate that either no ensagemepe was fought yesterday with Villa or that Gen eral Pershing had not learned of It.
 DEFEAT IS CONFINED
 s-onspl Reltran of the Mexican govern rent received a message late today lroili Ccrsul Garcia at Fl Paso saying connrifla- ion had been received on the reporteo Villa defeat yesterday in the santa ter tr,Ides canyon by the American ana Mex ioan forces and that he had fled to Ei Oso. five miles from Namiquipa' where be was surrounded. The consul aodeo that one of the American officers wltn the expeditionary forces had reported 'o General Pershing that they would at' The American troops near Nilhiaslrip1 s,cved north and east from Casas Gfandes aver the trail that passes through Valie and Cruces vaIle. 55 miles rom Casas Grandes, was selected by General Fer shing as temporary base, he sala II his report to General Funston. The fac' that he mentioned two columns as nay ing reached points near Namaqulpa cs,ised it to be believed here that he had called back the third column, dis patched from Casas Grandes the first oi inc week. from the trail leading to Car men and sent it south from Galeana te join the Seventh cavalry, on It's way south through Vale
 That General Pershing is meeting wltf Il some difficulty in provisioning his detach k want now more than 200 miles from the ho,der was indicated by statement II his renort that unless he could use the Northwestern railway for transportation he would need more automo trucks VIEWS DIFFER RADICALLY El Paso, Tex, March 2f.-Eyidences of inc seriousness with which Ell Paso au- tbcritles regard the border situation was sunplfed tonight in an announcement by sra,iff Edwards that he had telegraphed
 5eoyernor Ferguson that he believed 3rexas National Guard troops should be sent to the frontier.
 Sheriff Edwards said he did not wish Uto be considered an alarmist' but that udeyelopments in Mexico convinced him Mthat additional protection was needed Nalong the border. His action, taken sub | seouent to that of the Arizona authori- ties in directing that the border com upanies of National Guard of that state he recruited to full war strength, gave renewed force to the tension which earlier
 tContinued on Page Nine)