Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-03
ACTIVITIES MAY BE
UNDER ONE COMMAND
[Continued From First Page1


under command of Major General
Frederick Funston, to embrace that
part of the present department to a
line cast of Ell Paso.
'B-The Department of New Mex
leo. with headquarters at Ell Paso,
Texas. to be established, under the
command of Brigadier- General John
j. Pershing, to extend from western
boundary OF Southern Department to
the one hundred and ninth meridian.
'C-That portion of the Southern
Department west of the one hundred
and ninth meridian to be assigned to
the Western Department under the
command of Major General ]. +. Bell,
with field headquarters for same at
Douglas, Ariz."
General Bell is now in command of
the Western Department with head
quarters at San Francisco. He also is q
former chief of staff of the army.
Pending the appointment of an of
ficer TO supreme command, the func-
tions of the three departments will be
co-ordinated through the War Depart
ment.
The assignment of General Pershing
to the command of the Department
of New Mexico, ii was stated officially,
does not mean that the expedition into
Mexico is about to be withdrawn or
that General Pershing himself will re-
turn to direct the affairs of the depart
ment from FL Paso, his new headquar-
ters. 1t is assumed that he will re-
main in the field for the present at
least. II he is promoted, a brigade
commander probably will be sent to
relieve him in Mexico. unless develop
ments should necessitate the sending
of a large number of additional troops
across the border.
Brigadier- General George Bell, Jr,
will remain in direct command of the
Ell Paso district, where his brigade is
on duty.
Retirement of General Pershing's
expedition to the bases 1t now oc-
cupies, probably 100 miles closer to
the border. was declared by officials at
the War Department to-day to be due
to military reasons alone At the State
Department 1t was said there had been
no change in policy regarding the
expedition, although private advices
from Mexico City assert that Car
rama officials ccnstrue the movement
as an indication that the expedition
soon would be withdrawn and that this
feeling may have some bearing on the
diplomatic situation.
Army officers explain that the prob
lem of supplying the expedition has
become more and more difficult The
rainy season is due. but there has been
about General Pershing's camp has
been stripped of the last vestige OF
forage for his animals.
The State Department had no ad-
vices to-day as to when a reply of
General Carranza to the demands sent
a week ago might be expected.
Heretofore the southern department
has embraced the entire border from
the gulf coast to the California State
line and General Pershing's eXpedi-
ton In Mexico has been directly under
command of General Funston.
These changes, announced by the
War Department publicity bureau
explanation, are believed to
be preparatory to the appointment of
command Of the forces on the border
and in Mexico.
General Funston is junior to all the
orher departmental commanders, who
rank in the following order: Major
Leonard Wood, Eastern;
Maj General ]. Franklin Bell, West
err, and Major Thomas II.
Barry. Central.
General Hugh L. Scott, chief of
staff, is next to General Funston; Cen
eral Tasker H. Bliss, assistant chief
Of staff, follows him, and General
George w Goethals is last on the list
of seven major-generals.
Officials here to-day were only
mildly interested in reports of the
latest bandit chase into Mexican terri
tory by two troops of the cavalry un-
der Captain Leroy Eltinge. The party
spent yesterday in a vain search south
of the Rio Grande for ten bandits
who drove off three horses from a
ranch 81 miles southeast of FL Paso
and last night the troopers were back
on the American side without having
seen either the horse thieves or Car
rama. troops.
AT least thirty thousand National
probably will be on duty
at the Mexican border within the next
two or three days. No official in
of the number either at
border points or on the way is avail
able but there is reason to believe this
figure is not too high.
Soon after arrival, each regiment
of infantry or cavalry will be fur
nished with automatic machine guns.
$50 of a new type of which were
ordered recently for immediate de-
livery. AS an experiment the guns
will be carried in automobiles instead
Of on the backs of pack mules and
five chauffeurs will be required in each
regiment to operate the cars.
Make Urgent Appeal For