American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-03-23
CARRANZA TROOPS JOIN VILLA.
Tension Along Border Heightened by
Reported Desertion of 1000 Troops
Sympathy Of Mexicans With villa.

Reported DesertiOn of 1000 Troops
Sympathy Of Mexicans With villa.
General Luis Herrera, until recent
ly Carranza military governor of Chi
huahua, has renounced Cararnza and
announced favor of Villa, taking the
field in western Chihuahua with two
thousand trooos, according to reliable
Information received Wednesday night.
The exact place at which General
Herrera's troops are encamped was
not indicated in the message which
reached Columbus from a source that
always has been thoroughly reliable.
1t is believed, however, that the
troops, most of whom recently con-
stitute the Carranza garrison at Chi
huahua City Wednesday night, are
some place in the distance between
San Pedro and Chihuahua and are
preparing to work north and west to-
ward the American puitive expedition
in the field under General Persning.
People Worship villa.
The sentiment of the people in this
district, which lies about 20 miles
directly east of the Guerrero region in
which Villa began his days as an out
law, is strongly in favor Of the bandit
chieftain. His success in Withstand
ing Porfirio Diaz' rurales for eight
years, during all of which time there
was heavy price on his head, was
due to the loyalty of the poems, who
worship Pancho Villa as an idol. Army
men believe here that Herrera and
his command will have every possible
cooperation from the people of the dis
trict
:, Herrera's Revolt Received With Con-
cern by Funston.
The report that General Huerrera,
commanding two thousand men at Chi
huahua, had aligned himself with
Francisco Villa against the United
States was received grave con-
Germ by General Funston and his staff.
The long intervals between General
Pershing's reports already had key
ed the tension bit, although General
Funston and his chief of staff continu-
ed to profess the belief that all was
well with the troops below Casas
Grandes, but the report from Chihua-
hua made insignificant any anxiety
they might have felt concerning Gen.
eral Pershing's operations.
Officially and unofficially, the opin-
zion entertained here was that if Her.
Srera has joined Villa the information
al situation might be made so com
plex that by comparison the pursuit
of Villa would be regarded as inciden-
tai.
Consul Beltran of Carranza's gov
ernment received no report of the re-
ported revolt of Herrea and he was
inclined to laugh at it as border
runlor."
According to the version reaching
here Herrera was relieved Monday
from command and Immediately took
steps to ALLEVIATE his garrison.
That Carranza has enough loyal
troops in northern Mexico to drive
him from the city of Chihuahua il
he attempts to hold that place was
believed by military men here, but
1t was feared that retention of Chi
huahua would not be his plan.
Military observers here see a pos.
sible conenction with his plan in the
interruption of wire service betweeer
Casas Grandes and Juarez Tuesday
and the wire cutting Wednesday be
tween Torreon and Pjinaga, opposite
Preside, Tex. 1t was suggested tha
those who cut the wires between Casa!
Grandes and Juarez might have
thought that they were being uset
by General Pershing for communica
tion with General Funston.
If the report should be true and i
Herrera desired to, he could embar
rass greatly the United States in it
efforts to run down villa and his fol
lowers. Cutting of the Northwestern
railway at certain points would max
1t impossible for the Americans to us
it for forwarding supplies for man.
days, even If the Carranza government
decided to grant General Funston
request Another move that 1t wa
feared he might make was to go mort
and east along the trail to Ojinag
and emulate Villa by attacking Presi
dio.
A small American force is there no,
and this probably will be strength
ened. Such a raid would not be 8
simple as that effected at Columbus
however, since between Preside an
Ojinaga is the Rio Grande, instead G