Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-06-21

I CIllo dOlOSlOuo SIIilC gnu 0PpC0iCo W
this government and to the American
people to consider the difficulties q
according protection along the rail
road where the massacre occurred
Assurances were also given by Mr.
Arredondo, presumably under instruc
tions from the de facto government
that the murderers would be brought
to justice and that steps would also
be taken to remedy the lawless con
ditions existing in the state of Dur
ango.
Lone Raider Punished.
1t is true that Villa, Castro anc
Lopez were publicly declared to be
outlaws and subject to apprehension
and execution, but SO far as known
only single man personally con
nected with this massacre has beer
brought to justice by Mexican authori-
ties. Within a month after this bar
barous slaughter of inoffensive Amer
leans it was notorious that Villa was
operating within 20 miles of Cusihui-
riachic and publicly stated that his
purpose was to destroy American
lives and property. Despite repeated
and insistent demands that military
protection should be furnished to
Americans, Villa openly carried on his
operations, constantly approaching
closer and closer to the border. He
was not intercepted, nor were his
movements impeded by troops of the
de facto government and no effectual
attempt was made to Illustrate his
hostile designs against Americans. In
fact, as | am informed, while Villa
ovI 1ic, how'd c1Ny,1,, 10
ward the American frontier in the
a single Mexican soldier was seen in
this vicinity. Yet, the Mexican au-
thorities were fully cognizant of his
movements, or on March 6, as General
Gavira publicly announced, he had adj
vised the American military author
tiles of the outlaws approach to the
border so that they might be prepared
to prevent him from crossing the
boundary. Villas unhindered activi-
ties eliminated in the unprovoked and
cold-blooded attack upon American
soldiers and citizens in the town of
Columbus on the night of March 8,
the details of which do not need
repetition here in order to refresh
your membery with the hideousness of
the crime. After numbering, burning
and plundering, Villa and his bandits
fled south and passed within sight of
the Carranzista military post at
Casas Grandes and no effort was made
to stop him by the officers and gar
rison of the de facto government sta
toned there.
U. S. Compelled to Use Force.
In. the face Of these depredations,
not only on American lives and prop
erty on Mexican soil, but on American
soldiers, citizens and homes on Ameri-
can territory, the perpetrators of
which General Carranza was unable,
or possibly considered inadvisable, to
apprehend, to punish, the United
States had no recourse other than to
employ force to dispense the bands of
Mexican outlaws who were, with in
creasing boldness, systematically
raiding across the international boun-
daryl The marauders engaged in the
attack on Columbus were driven back
across the border by American cav
airy and subsequently as soon as a
sufficient force to cope with the band
could be collected, were pursued into
Mexico in an effort to capture or de-
stroy them Without cooperation or
assistance in the field on the part of
the de facto government, despite re-
peated requests by the United States
and without apparent recognition on
its part of the desirability of putting
an end to these systematic raids, or of
Furnishing the chief perpetrators of
the crimes committed because they
menaced the good relations of the two
countries. American forces pursued
the lawless bands as far as Parral,
where the pursuit was halted by the
hostility Of Mexicans, presumed to be
loyal to the de- facto government, who
arrayed themselves on the side of out
lawry and became, in effect, the pro-
tectors of Villa and his band.
De FactO Government Insincere.
Gin this manner and for these rea-
sons have the American forces en-
tered Mexican territory. Knowing
fully the circumstances set forth, the
de facto government cannot be blind
to the necessity which compelled this
government to act, and yet it has seen
fit to recite groundless sentiments of
hostility toward the expedition and to
impute to this government Interior
motives for the continued presence of
American troops on Mexican soil. 1t
is charged that these troops crossed
the frontier without first obtaining
the consent or permission of the de
facto government. Obviously, as i'm
mediate action alone could avail, there
was no opportunity to reach an agree
ment (other than that of March
lola, now repudiated by General Car
ranza) prior to the entrance of such
an expedition into Mexico if the ex-
petition was to be effective. Sub
sequent events and correspondence
have demonstrated to the satisfaction
of this government that General Car
rama would not have entered into
any agreement providing for an effec-
tive plan for the capture and destruc-
ton of the Villa bands. While the
American troops were moving rapidly
southwark in pursuit of the raiders it
was the form and nature of the agree
ment that occupied the attention of
General Carranza rather than the
practical object which it was to at
tain--the number of limitations that
could be imposed upon American
forces to impede their progress rather
than the obstacles that could be raised
To prevent the escape of the outlaws