Imperial Valley press., 1916-03-13

! IIOOu, anu IHcIc Is CISliololl ICi'
in every town along the border.
Reports at hand Indicate that the
! United States is mobilizing all mo-
| bile troops, and trains are rushing
them to the border as rapidly as pos
sibe.
Heretofore the companies compos-
ing the several regiments have beer
widely scattered, and they are now
! being brought into regimental bodies
other troops being sent to replace the
companies that have been scattered
along the border.
Washington, March 13-The inva-
sion of Mexico for the punishment of
Francisco Villa will be an accom-
plished act tonight or tomorrow, but
all the movements preparatory to it
are hidden from view. 1t may or may
not be true that troops have actually
crossed the border today, but the or
der sent to General Funston was not
to act until he was fully prepared fot
any eventuality, and it has take some
days to mobilize the forces which are
to strike and to transport to the bor-
der other troops to take the places in
guarding he border Of those who are
to engage in the invasion.
There will be growing danger of the
Mexican people becoming aroused by
the invasion and it is proposed to have
ample forces on the border to pre-
vent repetition by others of Villas
exploit in attacking Columbus.
CarranZa has taken steps to prevent
the publication in the City of Mexico
Of any information regarding the in
vasion but this in itself may lead to
exaggerated reports gaining currency,
and the actual invasion cannot be hid
den from the MeXica people living
along the border.
Instead of giving formal consent for
the American troops to cross the bor-
der CarranZa proposed that he would
consent providing the United States
would consent to Mexican troops pur-
suing brigands into this country and
this is assented to by Wilson provid-
ing there are no American troops at
hand on the border. Of course he
proposes to see to it that there are
such troops.
1t is felt here that Carranza has
sent his army Of 1000 men in pursuit
of Villa in entire good faith, and that
he is as anxious as is President Will
son that Villa be captured, but it is
looked on as very uncertain what the
attitude of those Carranz troops will
be when they get near to Villa and
find they are cooperating with Amer
lean troops against a Mexican on
Mexican soil. It is considered an open
question whether the Carranza army
will not join Villa.
Now that Villa has had three days
start of the American troops and is
in a mountainous country where he
knows every trail and water hole it
is believed it will take several weeks
to carry out the mission that is as
signed the troops, even though there
may not be a general uprising Of the
MeXicans.
There are two strong elements in
favor of the Americans-that they will
have an equipment of a number of
aeroplanes with which to hunt out the
retreat of the desperadoes, and that
the latter can have no adequate supply
of ammunition.
Villa is sure to find that he viii,
have difficulty in concealing his op-
erations from the bird men, while he
will have no means of protecting HIM
self from them if they undertake
bomb-dropping operations. This mod
ern invention will be extremely valu-
able in the kind of warfare which Vii
la has brought on himself.
1t is expected that there will be a
dearth of news regarding operations in
Mexico, in part because every effort
is being made to work in secret, and
in part because the country in which
the operations will be carried on is
one in which there are very poor IA
ciiities for the transmission of news.
Ell Paso, March 13.-Francissco Vii
la and his outlaw band are fleeing to
the hills of the Guerrero district IN
chihuahua to make their stand against
the American troops commissioned to
wine them out. In the Guerrero hills
where Villa lived before his ambition
turned him murderer the bandit horde
also is on familiar trails. In the hills
too they will find a natural militar!
defense that will be a problem for the
soldiers of the United States.
Many tales came across the border
tonight from dark Mexico. One OF
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