Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-23

| Grandcs have been cut, and that con
seauently he could give no informa
ton he could give no information il
regard to the reported battle at Nam
| iuuipa between the Carranza ant
Villa troops.
Refugees Scout Reports.
Americans here, especially refugees
from Mexico, are frankly skeptlcal
| both as to the reported battle ant
the cut wires. They point out thai
severed communication is one of the
most familiar uses used by Mexican
officials when they wish to withhold
information, and that it is strange
that the wires to Casa GranGes, q
distance of only 1870 miles, along 8
| railroad, could not be repaired in two
days time.
Clash Imminent.
That General Pershing and some OF
his forces are close to Namiquipa
seems reasonably certain, and If the
bandit had received serious check
at the hands of the CarranZistas, a
clash between his followers and the
Americans should be imminent. The
fact that CarranZa victory would
have been most certainly heralded fal
and wide by this time, instead OF
being suppressed adds force to the
contention Of the skeptics.
Railroads Center of Interest.
Whatever is the real situation in
the section of the Sierra iMadres
where Americans, Carranzistas and
Villistas are operating, the main in
terest here lies in the railroad stu
| alton Even before the American gov
eminent requested General Carranza
to permit the use Of the Mexican
railroads for the transportation OF
supplies, rumors had reached here
| that General Funston was eXperienc.
ing serious difficulty in forwarding
supplies to the columns. These ru
mors have reached the stage where
now they may be Chased as definite
| information.
Roads in Bad Condition.
Arrivals from Columbus today re-
ported that the transportatino service
across the desert was being badly
hampered by sand storms. There arc
no roads except those which the Am
erican engineers have been able tC
improvise, and these are said to be
cut to pieces by the heavy transport
wagons.
An American mining man, who has
lived for rs years in Chihuahua, de
clared today that it would be little
less than a miracle if the Carranza
army staff was able to send the need
ed supplies for 5000 men a distance
of 200 miles for any period of time
Americans for Railway Service.
That General Funston is fully alive
to this situation is evidenced by the
elaborate arrangement being made
here to use the Mexican Northwest
ern if Carranza grants the needed
permission. Conductors, engineers
firemen and brakemen, most of whom
have seen service on the Mexican
national railways, have been enlisted
for service. All of the equipment ir
the El Paso yards has been inspect
ed and enumerated and exact infor
nation obtained as to how many
trains can be counted on with full
American crews for each.
Establishing Large Base.
There has been particular activity
in the quartermaster's department
where plans are being made to estab
lish base here larger than that at
Columbus. At the same time, it was
said, no attempt was contemplated to
send troops across the border at this
point, but supplies alone.
General Deserts Carranza.
Reports from Columbus, passed by
the censor, state that General Louis
Huerria, until recently Carranza mill
tary governor of Chihuahua, has re-
nounced Carranza and announced in
favor Of Villa, taking the field in
western chihuahua with 1900 troops
according to reliable information re
ceived here tonight.
Funston Doubts Statement.
General Funston said tonight ihe
had been informed of Huerria's re-
ported revolt and, while confirmation
was lacking, he had taken precau
tlonary steps to meet any aggression
along the border.
May Complicate Affairs.
Even though unconfrmed, the re-
port that General Luis Huerria, com
handing 1900 men at Chihuahua, had
aligned himself with Villa against the
United States, was received with
grave concern by Cen Funston and
his staff, the long intervals between
General Pershing's report already had
keyed the tension, although General
Funston and his chief of staff con
tinued to profess the belief that all
was well with the troops below Casa
Grandes, but the report from Chihua
hua made Insignificant any anxiety
they might have felt concerning Gen
eral Pershing's operations.
Expedition Small in Comparison.
Officially, and unofficially, the opin
ion here was that if Huerria has join
| ed Villa, the international situation
might be made so complex that By
comparison the pursuit of Villa would
be regarded as Incidental
Consul Beltrain, of Carranza's gov
! eminent, received no reports of the
reported revolt of Huerria, and he
was incluined to laugh at it as "bor
der rumor.'
According to the version reaching