Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-06-24
REPORT CREATES
BIC STIR At
WASHINGTON
Cen. Pershing's Message Causes
Officials Grave Ap-
prehension
TENSION Is INCREASED
BY NEWS OF BATTLE
General Scott the Only One APP
pearing Optimistic as to
News of Clash

Mexico City, June 23.-The note
of the American government, in
reply to the communication of
General Carranza demanding the
withdrawal Of the American fore
cs in Mexico, has not yet been
published here.
High officials of the government
declared today that Mexico is not
attacking the American punitive
expedition, but said that by no
means will Mexico allow these
troops to advance southwark.
They added that the Mexican peo-
Pile were surprised at reports COM
ing from the north, which alIege
that Mexico was seeking war.
General Carranza continues to
receive kilograms from various
parts Of the republic, offering the
services of the senders in case of
war.
It is estimated here that at
least 100000 men will join the
constitutionaIist army.
The governor Of the State of
Mexico has wired Minister Of War
Obregon that several prominent
citizens Of ToIuca had offered to
join the army and expressed their
willingness to contribute large
sums for war expenses.
The cabinet held meeting this
morning. Although the matters
discussed were not made public,
it was understood the information.
al situation was topic dealt
with.
Washington, June 23-General Per
shfng's report, indicating that the
cavalry command, engaged
at 'Carrizal, was the object Of a atreach
crons attack by Carranza soldiers ant
was virtually wiped out, stirred Wash
ington tonight with deeper appre
hension than has been aroused by any
other development in the series which
have brought the two countries to the
brink of war.
While no officials would make any
whatever. to indicate the
probable course of the United States
should the report prove true, there
were many grim evidences that ten
sion had been greatly increased. Pres
ident Wilson, who had retired before
the news reached Washington, was
awakened and talked with Secretary
Baker over the telephone. At the
war department, officials credited fol
the first time the report that the Mex
lean troops had been guilty of an of
fense which could lead to the mos
serious consequences.
No Official Report.
Late tonight the Pershing report
telling OF it in news dispatches, hat
not reached the war department Off
cially. The report received from the
commander in Mexico, however, sait
that seven negro soldiers, who hat
held the horses of the others and had
become separated from them in the
fight, had Struggled into the field base
at Colonia Dublan, and repeated the
versions of the battle told in messag
cs received earlier in the day. The
dispatch tonight said that at the time
it was written there had been no def
ME indication of the number of Amer
lean casualties.
Gen. Scott Issues Statement.
General Scott, chief or staff, in Civ
ing out the dispatch, emphasized that
failure to get in touch with survivors
Of the fight. could not in itself be &C
cepted as indicating that the com
mand had been annihilated. He point
ed out that Carrizal was SO miles
from the American base, and that
three or four days would be only a
reasonable time for a troop to traveI
that distance over the broken country
Of northern Mexico.
General Scott indicated that the
war department did not expect any
further reports from General Perish
ing until relief troops, sent out after
the battle, had returned to camp II
was suggested by several officials
that General Pershing's failure to for
ward promptly all the reports brought
TO him by the stragglers reaching his
camp, was due to the fact that ordin
arily little credit is placed by army
officers in stories coming from such
sources. There still was hope that an
official version of what happened and
how it came to happen, would be OBJ
tanned soon
Baker confers With Wilson.
Secretary Baker did not return tO
the var department tonight after the
new official and unofficial dispatches
the incident had come in
Arrv officers, however, kept in con
stant telephone communication Will,
his house, and kept him advised fully
Continued on Page TWol