Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-06-24
Never Before Have Officials
Felt Such Deep Apprehen-
sion Over Mexican-Ameri-
can Situation,
GENERAL SCOTT
HOLDS OUT HOPE
Chief of Staff Says Delay in
Securing Official AdviceS
Need Not Be Considered
Omnibus.

fBr MORNING Journal SPECIAL Leased wisHI
Washington, June 23.-General
Pershings report indicating that the
American cavalry command engaged
at Carri2al was the object of n treach-
erous attack by Carranza soldiers and
virtually was wiped out, stirred Wash
ngton tonight with deeper appre-
hcnsion than has been aroused by any
other development in the series which
have brought the two countries TO the
brink Of war.
While no official would make any
statement whatever t0 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
dent Wilson. who retired before the
news reached Washington, was awak'
encd and talked with Secretary Baker
over the telephone. Al the war dc"
partment officials apparently credited
for the first time the story that the
Mexican troops had been guilty of an
net which could lead only to the most
serious consequences.
No Official knowledge.
Late tonight the pershing report
told of in news dispatches had not
Z
report received from the commands
or In Mexico, however, said that seven
negro soldiers who had held the
horses of the others and had become
separated from them In the fight, hat
struggled into the field base at Co
lonia Dublan and repeated the vcr-
sion of the incident told of IN mes
sagcs from General Pershing received
earlier in the day The dispatch to-
night said that at the time it was
written there had been no definite IN
dication of the number of American
casualties
May Not BE Annihilatcd.
General scott, chief of staff, in CIV
ing out the dispatch. emphasized that
failure TO get in touch with survivors
of the fight could not in itself be ac-
copted az indicating that the com
mnnd had been annihilated. He point
"a out that Carrizal was sixty miles
from the American base and thai
three or four days would be only q
reasonable time for a troop TO ttNvel
that distance over the broken country
Of northern Mexico. The clash oc-
CURED only two days ago. General
Scott indicated that the war depart
mont did not expect any further re-
port from General Pershng until re-
lief troops sent out after the battle
had returned to camp. 1t was sug-
gested by several officials that Gen
eral Pershings failure to forward
promptly all the reports brought to
him by the stragglers reaching ms
camp was due to the fact that ordl-
nariiy little credence Is placed by
army officers In stories coming IRON
such sources There still was hope
that an official version of what hap
pcned and how il came to happen
would be obtainable soon from re.
sponsibe officers of the engaged
troops,
Baker Talks to Wilson.
Secretary Baker did not return to
the department tonight after the new
official and unofficial dispatches re-
enrding the Incident had come IN
Army Officers, however. kept in con
stnnt telephone communication win
him nj his homo and kept him advised
fulN. 1t was nearly midnight when
the secretary called the White House
and told officials there he wanted ia
talk with President Wilson.
The conversation between the pres
dent and his secretary OF war lasten
several minutes and afterward MT
Wilson remained up half an hour
waiting for possible receipt of turther
details OF the developments of which
the secretary had told him, He then
retired without going to his office OF
talking to Secretary TnmhltN' VINO
was waiting there.