The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-04-28
MAJOR HUGH L. SCOTT WILL
MAKE PERSONAL lNVESTlGA-
TON OF THE SITUATION,
REPORT FROM GEN. PERSHING
Destltution Rules Masses In Mexico,
and Apathy Encountered by Ameri'
can Soldiers EVerywhere--Report
of Villas Death Not Believed.
La,es, News of Mexican Situation.

Of Villa by the American soldiers, IS at
G standstill while President Wilson
awaits full adviCes as to the military
problems the troops have encountered
In Mexico.
A tragic picture of restitution in
Southern chihuahua, where the Amer
lean expeditionary force has been OPP
Grating, was drawn in lengthy re-
port which Major General Funston re-
Ceived Friday from Brigadier General
John J. Pershing. The commander OF
the expedition also advised General
Funston that the fight at Parral was
not an isolated case of treachery on
the part of troops OF the de facto gov
eminent of Mexico.
The natives of the country around
satevo. said General Pershing, have
little means OF subsistence; there is
90 grass and no other vegetation to
speak Of; even water is scarce, and
supplies can be purchased in the
towns only in the most limited guam
titles
General Pershing's description OF
the attitude of the common people led
General Funston to believe that the ex-
peditionary force would encounter no
positive danger from that source. The
attitude Of the majority of the natives
toward the American troops, said the
field commander, Is one OF apathy.
They do not even seem to realize that
troops of a foreign nation are upon
the soil of their own country, appar'
emily regarding them as a new kind
Of revoltosos, or revolutionists, He
reported that the interest Of these
stolcal people, many of whom are pure
blooded Indians, Is awakened only
when they see an opportunity to sell
what few commodities they have for
real money, which is as scarce in Mex
leo as food supplies are in that section
Of the southern republic.
No decision as to withdrawal Of
American troops from Mexico Is eX-
pected for a week or ten days unlea3
there are new outbreaks against the
forces in Mexico to compel immediate
action. This was made clear Wednes-
day when Secretary Baker dispatched
Major General Hugh l.. Scott, chief OF
staff to the border as his personal rep
resentative to make complete report
on the military problems confronting
Major General Funston. The admin
istration's final action on General Car,
ranzas suggestion that the expedition
be recalled, probably will be based
largely on what is shown in this re-
port. General Scott will hardly be
able to make the round trip and COM
plete his observations in less than ten
days.
Emergency measures were taken by
Major General Frederick Funston We'd
nesday in an effort to relieve the Criti.
cal situation which the developments
OF the last few days have created for
the American expeditionary force in
Mexico. The departments first step
was to place $500 additional troops at
the disposal of Brigadier General John
J. Pershing, commander of the expedi.
ton. He ordered these achievements
to proceed to Columbus, N NJ, the
base Of operations, from various points
along the border. His second step was
to call upon the war department to re-
place the regiments taken from patrol
duty along the LorGer.
The Sixth Cavalry, stationed In the
Brownsville country; the Seventeenth
Infantry, on duty at Eagle Pass; the
First Battalion of the Twenty-fourth
Infantry. and Troop l. of the Tenth
Cavalry are the additional units made
available for service with the expedi
tiOnary force,
With these additions the expedition
airy force will number $4,000 to $4,000
men, some 10000 already being In
Mexico.
That General Funston considered
the situation critical is indicated by
the fact that only week or so age
when the question OF Strengthening
the line of communication was raised
the department commander said thai
none Of the troops on the border could
be spared for service in Mexico. In
announcing tlat he had ordered out re
Inducements for General Pershing'S
column General Funston pointed out
that one attack had already been made
by MeXicans upon the line of com
munication. He said that no was de-
termined to take 10 chances" and was
preparing to handle any situation
that may arise"
General Funston's belief that the re-
port of Villas death and the finding of
bis body was a hoax, expressed imme-
diately after the rumor reached de-
partment headquarters, gained support
from a message which the department
commander received Wednesday from
Brigadier General Bell, who reported
that in compliance With General Funs-
toms instructions to investigate the
rumor he had Queried Consul Letcher
at Chihuahua City, with the result that