The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-10-27
MEXICAN PROBLEM
BECOMING WORSE
VILLA ACTIVE AGAIN
His New Ascendancy in Portions
of Country Gives Cause for
Apprehension.


in northern Mexico. revolving on the
new ascendancy of Villa, are COM
manding more attention than at any
time since the border raids which
resulted in the dispatch of the
American punitive expedition.
Administration officials made no
effort tonight to disguise their opin-
ion that the American Mexican COM
mission sitting at Atlantic City can
not be expected to arrive at a salts
factory solution of border problems
until the chihuahua situation has
been clarified. Any agreement for
the early withdrawal of Gen. Per-
shing's forces apparently is consid-
cred out of question.
Moreover, the impression stood
out clearly that while the present sit
Pation exists there is little possibility
What the forces of regulars or Ma
be reduced.
Coupled with ugly reports which
disparage the stability of Gen. Car
ranza's regime and interpret his re-
moval from Mexico City to Quere-
taro as a sign of the breaking up
process which his enemies have re-
peatedly predicted, the military
movements of Villa, now making n
formidable campaign in Chihuahua.
are regarded here as menacing the
de facto governments control OF the
whole northern country.
Prominent in the whole situation
are apparently well founded but in
definite reports of the connection OF
the socalled legalista movements
with the whole train of evtnts. The
Mexican embassy today declared that
: Villas forces consist only of a few
hundred men claiming Villa as their
leader" and branded reports of in.
stability OF Gen. Carranza's govern
ment as "a food of misrepresenta-
tions that might be expected from
enemies" when the Mexican-Ameri-
can began its work
At the same time reports came t.
the war department that Villa 3
camp fires were in sight of Chihua>
hua City and that Gen. Trevino, the
CarranZa commander there, al
though plentifully supplied with
arms and receiving reinforcements.
was short of ammunition and consid-
ering evacuation the capital. De-
partment officials said tonigh. tiiey
had not heard the report reaching
the border that Chihuahua actually
had fallen.
AS a matter of military stategy il
was pointed out that Villa, once oc-
cupying Chihuahua. could compel
the surrender Of Juarez and at an
Monerey and Saltillo, when he would
be a military factor somewhat diff
ferent from the bandit for whose
elimination an American military ex-
department reports on Villas latest
coup come from Brig. Gen. Bell who
transmitted stories he had obtained
from refugees arriving in El Paso.
1t was conceded that no room was
left for doubt that the bandit leader
was operating openly and in force.
Gen. Bells dispatch gave details os
the annihilation of the Carranza
column under Gen. OZuna by villa
forces at Palemas and described
how the Villa troops captured or
killed more than a thousand Car
ranza troops and took all the supply
trains.
The Mexican embassy's explana-
tion of Gen. Carranza's move to
Queretaro was that he had gone to
prepare for the meeting OF the CON
stituent assembly, for which depu-
ties just have been elected The ar
rival OF the families of Gen. Car
rama and Obregon in the United
States was declared to be without
significance. Reports by Gen. Fun
ston, however, said Gen. Trevino had
privately advised many officials in
chihuahua to leave the city. Tre.
vino has sent his own family out of
the country and he prepared spe-
cial train for officials.
Reports to persons here in toucn
with the legaista movement state un.