The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-03-18
SEEKING VILLA,
TO CROSS BORDER
Tedious Task Ahead, but 1t
Is Not Expected to Take
Years to End the Reign
of LaWIeSSneSS.
of laWIeSSnesS.

artillery is expected to be one of the
units. Some, if not all, of the Sixth
field artillery may be sent. This is
light horse artillery, and its guns are
howitzers of the Al inch type. The
%cannoneers are mounted on horses and
could traverse the country hanGrly.
HowitZers would be more available
than the 80 inch rapid fire guns with
which the First, Third and Fifth field
artillery regiments are equipped. The
First field artillery is stationed at
Hawaii, and the Fifth field artillery.
except Battery A, at Fort Bliss, Texas.
is at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
President Wilson is commander in
chief of the army. The ranking officer
next to General Frederick Funston in
the southern division is Brigadier Cen
eral John J. Pershing. Other high Off
GERS of the border patrol and the troops
they command are:
First cavalry brigade, Brigadier Cen
eral James Parker, commanding; head
quarters at Fort Sam Houston.
Second cavalry brigade, Colonel George
A. Dodd, commanding: headquarters at
Douglas, Ariz.
Second infantry brigade. Brigadier Cen
eral Robert X. Evans, commanding; head
quarters at Laredo, Tex.
Fifth infantry brigade, Brigadier Cen
eral George Bell, Jr., commanding; head
quarters at San Antonio, Tex.
Sixth infantry brigade, Brigadier Gen
eral Thomas F. Davis, commanding;
headquarters at Douglas, Ariz.
Eighth infantry brigade, Brigadier Gen
eral John J. Pershing, commanding; head
quarters at Camp Fort Bliss. e. Paso.
Tex.
General Pershing commands the troops
in the field.
The offhand opinion of officers of the
general staff was that at least five reg
iments of cavalry and one regiment of
mountain artillery should be combined
in one force under General Pershing.
Some of the older officers favored a di-
vision which would represent approx
mately 1900 men and 700 officers.
There are at present approximately
10000 men on the border and $4,000
other mobile troops in the United
States exclusive of the coast artillery
corps. None of the plans includes q
proposal to disturb any of the coast
artillery corps.
Army officers consider it highly in
discreet even to consider the removal
of any of the already short consign-
ments of men from the coast artillery
division because of the general inter-
national situation. In the event that
it is necessary to send more men to
the border than are now available in
the mobile army it is probable that
some of the cavalry regiments of the
militia may be called upon.
Secrecy on Operations.
Secrecy will be maintained by the
general staff as to the movements of
troops in pursuit of Villa. General
Funston, who has shown that he is
aware of the necessity for concealing
such military information. is expected
to maintain a rigid censorship when
the punitive expedition enters upon its
real campaign.
Preparations for the larger scope of
the expedition include arrangements to
enlist the national guard for patrol
ling the border. OF the $4,000 in the
militia it is estimated that from 80 to
so per cent can be raised for that pur
pose. This will allow of the use of