Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-11
Of VILLA
BROUGHT To HALT
SAYS ARMY OFFICER
Declares PerShingl Unable to
Maintain Communications
and Keep Up the Chase
Has Reached Dead Stop
IRH Assooiated Free,.l

suit of Francisco Villa has Deen brought
to definite halt, according. TO a state
ment made here tonight by an Amerl-
can army officer holding a position OF
| responsibility.
There is no use blinking at the
/ facts" he said. Even a layman should
/ be able To understand that General
I Pershing with the relatively small num-
/ Der Of men under his command, cannot
maintain lines OF communication, any
where from 500 to 500 miles long. and
at the same time press the pursuit Of
| a bandit into a country where he is
known to have thousands of sympathiz-
ers, II not active supporters.
with the free use Of the Mexican
railroads We could still hope to effect
something, but apparently there is no
hope OF such q concession. at least az
| present / cannot see that the army can
do anything more until the railroad
problem is settled in our favor or sub
stantial reinforcements are sept to Gen
eraI Pershing. L know nothing about
reports that the withdrawal of troops
is contemplated. That is a question for
Washington TO decide. 1t is hardly
necessary for me 10 say that il is a
solution which would be a bitter pill
for US"
! SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
/ Statements from Mexican officials
/ here and IN JuareZ, coupled with the
| dispatches from Washington, are accept
ed as intimations that a speedy and SEN
sstionaI development In the situation is
Coming I'm connection with this feeling.
Reports continue TO come from dozen
| sources OF concentration of Carranza
sources OF concentration of CarEanZa
+. is known here. have been forwarded
| to Washington as credible.
| For over a week it has been reported
/ here that additional Carranza troops
were on their way TO Juarez and Cen
eraI Gavira, the present commander in
the Mexican town, was to be superced-
/ ed.
A statement from Mexican sources
| tonight declared that General Gavira
i had received orders to proceed to Casas
| Grandes to take a field command and
] that he would be succeeded by General
/ Petronillo Hernandez General Herman
DEE was said to be already on his way,
having entrained at Villa Ahumadar
with three thousand men. Villa Anu
mada is half way between Juarez and
Chihuahua City.
LUMBER PLANT BURNED.
A train which arrived here today from
| chihuahua City with several Americans,
/ including two women, brought story
| Of the burning Of the million-dollar
plant of the Durango Lumber company,
! an American concern near Durango
City. The plant was said to have been
| DESTROYED by Villa followers operating
under the direction of the Arieta broth
/ ers.
| Passengers on the train said they
/ had been told this story in Chihuahua
I City by Americans arriving from south.
They also said that one OF the Ameri-
can aviators who had landed near Chi
huahua City early yesterday was ar
/ rested by the Carranza authorities, but
was later released on the representa-
| lions of Consul Letcher. The fact
that the war departments orders to the
punitive expedition as made public to-
day contain no reference to the kill or
capture OF Villa and state that the
object Of the pursuit will be accomplish
| ed wren Villas band or bands are brok-
| en- I'D, was received with undisguised
pleasure by the Mexican officials IN
/ Juarez and FL Paso.
This news comes at an opportune
/ time." commented General Gavira at
u his Jaurez quarters.
I Evidently the killing or capture Of
Villa is considered merely incidental 70
the pursuit" was the observation Of
Mexican Consul Andreas Garcia This
announcement puts different aspect
on the situation. II means that the
ntLEu SIaA[S troops VIII not GOlASluEE
il necessary to pursue Villa TO the end
OF the earth or to keep up the hunt in
definitely after their object OF smash
ing Villa as a military power has been
accomplished"
PLACARDs IN JUAREZ.
Placards headed Important" nave
been posted conspicuously in Juarez
at the order OF General Gayira,
containing the extract from the treaty
Of 1913 made between the United States
and Mexico. providing for the arbitra-
ton Of disputes.
The pIacards state that the first chief
mad communicated this extract to the
Mexican ambassador in Washington.
The object Of the placards Is said TO
be to allay war rumOrs among tho
people.
Villa bands were reported operating
In the neighborhood of Satevo by Gen.
eral Gutierrez, cOmmandant at Chihu-
hua, in a telegram today to General
Gavira He said that Generals Suazua,
CARA and Maldonade were advancing
against the rear guard, right and left
tanks. respectively.
An official Of the de facto government
said today that i've men. now prisoners
I'm Jaurez. are being neld as the local
leaders Of the frustrated plot TO capture
that town, while the instigator Of the
affair is a wealthy Mexican, now n re-
fugee in Texas. The five leaders hav @
confessed in the hope OF leniency, ne
said.
DETAILS OF PLOT
The plot said this official, was aimed
at Americans. During the band con-
cert in the plaza last Sunday evening,
which It was safe 10 surmise would be
attended by all classes, including tho
soldiers of duty, the conSpirators in
tended TO open fire on all Americans IN
sight and Immediately rush the bar
racks and seize the arms. They were
then 10 tack the American patrol at
the international bridge and other
points. Their object was said 10 be
not so much to overthrow the Carranza
regime as to force American interven-
ton, which the conspiTators believed
would end the CarranZa regime and re-
store peace with guarantees Of security
Of property, including the great estates
now confiscated.
Some apprehension was felt by the
people of Juarez today because a re-
port circulated among them by suppoS-
ed villa sympathizers that President
Wilson intended 10 take the Mexican
= Fesefs, for FInaf-s