Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-03-24
REGAINING PLACE
AS IDOL OF PE0NS
Villas Audacity Wins Him SYM
pathy Among the Ignorant
MexicanS.

Villas audacity in making such
bold attack on American soil and his
escape from the small mounted forces
that pursued him from Columbus has
done much toward placing him back
on his pedestal as the popular idol of
the poems and ignorant Mexicans.
The American invasion has given
him the argument that Carranza is in
league with the "gringos'' and the dec
laration that plans are on foot TO
place the states of Chihuahua and
Sonora under American rule, after
the example of Texas and California.
In all public statements since the
Columbus massacre, Carranza has
carefully avoided reference to the
American invasion, of which he has
received bc1b personal and official in
formation
In N Paso, 1t is taken for granted
that the "gringo hate" SO carefully
cultivated in Mexico for the last sixty
years. is now so strong that Carranza
would lose all prestige IL he recog-
nized an invasion by the despised men
of the North, whether that invasion
was under the name Of punitive ex-
pedition" or any other innocent sp-
pearing phrase.
1t is believed the general plan Of in
vasion of Mexico under consideration
by the American forces is laid along
three avenues of entrance. According
to this theory, one United States col
umn will enter Mexico through Juarez
another from Douglas. Ariz., and q
third will start from the blackened
ruins of Columbus.
The theory is based on the belief
that the war department has decided
to take measures by which it hopes to
throw a line of forces midway east
and west across the state of Ch!hua-
hua. thereby cutting Villa of from
further recruiting his forces in the
central part of the republic.
With this line on the south the
Douglas column on the west and the
Juarez column on the east. il is be-
lieved Villa win be cornered in u" :"
the tips of which will touch the inter-
national border line.
Then by the closing o: this Gordon
and the starting of the third expedi-
tionary force on a straight sweep
south from Columbus, it is believed
| that the bandit chieftsin and his forces
will be surrounded and force. INTO a
decisive battle, inatead Of an endless
period of guerrilla w.rfare in the
hills.
The Gordon w1uld further have the
effect of starving out Villa and his
followers and isolating them from all
communications with potential assist.
ance in other parts of the republic.
The success of the plan is admit;<'l
to depend largely upon the ability q
the American forces to overcome th-
ever spreading Carranza opposition
which is now being considered one o.
the strongest factors in the campaign
With the pitifully small forces avail
able at present, it is believed the
American forces will experience great
difficulty In covering the $4,000 oil
more square miles in the prescribed
| area VI the W. anu dt the SdLne tlule
protecting their lines Of communica
tion. both from the onslaughts of the
entrapped bandits and the hostile dis
position of the CarranZistas.
The last is a negligible quantity b!
no means. Mexicans are Mexican'
first and Carranzistas second. AS Car
ranzistas they hate Villa. but as Mexi
cans they solidly hate Americans.