The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-12

over the delay In crossing into Mexico
were tonight giving way to praise OF
Ecautious and thorough preparation to
perfect assaults against disease ana
drought and protection Of lines OF com,
municatton.
Going In Tomorrow.
BY H. D. Jacobs. United Press Stan
Correspondent
Ell PASO, Texas, March l1.-"We're
going in Monday" That was the
statement at Fort Bliss tonight. The
older men with the shoulder straps
did not, say it. They were silent,
But the boys with plain uniforms said
IL and believe it, and instructions for
the armed forces of the U. S. to leap
across the Mexican border after Villa
WAS generally expected to arrive
!some time Monday.
When marching orders are received,
Uncle Sam viii go right across the
international bridge into Juarez from
Ell Paso. simultaneously other forces
will cross into Mexico at perhaps
Douglas and south OF Columbus.
That was the plan generally accept
ed by army men tonight. The delay in
starting after Villa, they said, was
due solely to the physical problem
OF collecting the necessary men and
jsupplies at the strategic points and to
the determination Of the war depart
ment, mot to go OF half cooked"
AS feverish activity progressed at
Fort Bliss tonight, Indications grew
that the Carranzista leaders were OPP
posed to any American invasion OF
Mexico.
/! General Pablo Bertani, commandant
of the Carranza garrison at Palomas,
eight miles south of Columbus. stated
there was no need OF the u. S. send
| ing an expedition into Mexico, as
ICarranzista soldiers would soon cap
ture villa.
A small detachment of the Juarez
garrison was throwing up shallow
! breast-works on the south bank OF the
Rio Grande, almost directly opposite
the United States posts wireless sta
ton. Fort Bliss officials ridiculed the
idea that this had any significance.
| Bertani who attended the funerals
OF the slain American soldiers in Co
| lumbus, brought the surprising news
| that Villa was seen only twenty-three
miles south of Palomas late today.
/ Bertani said his Carranzista force OF
! $50 men would attack Villa tonight.
| It is supposed that Villa, appraised OF
. the withdrawal of the special train
carrying 500 American Mormon col
onists whom he had vowed to mas
sacre, had changed his course due
north, possibly to make sudden
/ dash on another American border
town Bertani located Villa several
miles north OF La Ascencion, which
he was reported to have left at day
break for Guzman to ambush the
Mormons' train.
Bersani's request for permission to
secure food in Columbus for his sol.
diers was refused.
Major General Funston. in his plans
for the American pursuit of Villa. is
sued orders throughout the length Of
the Mexican border to prevent ship
ment of provisions to Mexican troops
| Everything In Fort Bliss was in
readiness tonight for the expedition
which it IS taken for granted here
will be pushed until villa and his
bandits are wiped out.
| The pursuit direct will be essent-
ially a cavalry affair, as all the bandit
chiefs forces are well mounted.
| Infantry will be used only in case
Villa il cornered.
The machine gun division of the
Fourth cavalry, equipped with four
Maxfms, probably will keep up with
+ the main expedition The supply train
will be compelled to proceed more
slowly.
High army officials apparently were
determined that no American soldier
should set foot On Mexican soil again
until everything was planned to in
sure the expedition meeting with the
speediest possible success once
started, efficiency will be the watch
word and the invasion will proceed
with clock ike precision.
Mormons Still In Danger.
| TBy II. D. Jacobs, United Press Staff
Correspondent
| Ell PASO, Texas, March 1.-The
Villa threat against the American
Mormon colonists again aroused the
! most acute fears here tonight when
the bandit chief was reported in Off
| ciaI advices to General Gayiha, Car
rama commandant in Juarez, to have
passed through Corraiitos, Chihuahua,
/ late today
! Corralitos Is on the Mexico and
Northwestern railway, snort DIS
lance north of Casas Grandes to
which place the five hundred Ameri-
can men, women and children were
returned when their special refugee
train for the border was turned back
by Carranzistas, fearing Villas am
bush at Guzman.
The one hope that the massacre OF
l.e Mormons may not now be his
object, was contained in suggestion
in the adyices that Villa was in full
flight from the coming American pur-
suit. He was said to be enroute to
the Guerrero district in western Chi
huahua to which he retired when Car
ranzistas set out to exterminate MIN
following the Santa Ysabel massacre
of eighteen Americans on January IL.
The advices stated that Villas outht
stopped briefly at Harry Payne Whit
news ranch near Corralitos.
The speed of Villas flight may be
Judged from the fact that Corralltos
il about thirty-five miles almost Que
| south of La Ascension which VILE