The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-16
And the United Staes Proposes
to Withdraw Its Troops in
a Reasonable" Time.
REPLY is ABOUT READY
Meantime Pursuit of Villa Will
Continue with No Change
in Orders to Troops.

dent Wilson has decided to inform
General Carranza. in response to his
request for withdrawal OF the AmerI-
can troops from Mexico that the
United States will negotiate for an
agreement along these lines:
The United States government Is
willing to agree to fix limit on the
distance the American troops now in
pursuit of Villa shall proceed into
Mexico and to make that limit not
much further south than the troops
already have proceeded.
To Give assurances.
The United States government is
willing to give assurances that the
American troops will be withdrawn
within "a reasonable time" or as
soon as it is definitely established
that Villa has reached point where
he can be dealt with better by the
Carranza forces.
These points. it became known to-
night. were discussed fully at yes
terday's cabinet meeting. The presi-
dents advisers are said to have
agreed on such a course in teh belief
that 1t would make stronger the
\ chances of catching Villa. A reply
to General Carranzaiiis said to be
virtually completed and Is expected
to go forward IN very short time.
Purusit to Continue.
Meantime the pursuit of Villa
by the American troops will con-
tinue. Secretary Baker sharply out
lined this today in formal state
ment.
THE status of the expedition into
Mexico is as 1t was at the beginning,
in cordial cooperation with the de
facto government OF Mexico" he
said. That cooperation continues
and the expedition continues. There
has been no change in the orders
and none is in contemplation.
Secretary Baker and other officials
laid stress on the fact that co-opera-
tion OF the Carranza troops was re-
garded as an important element, and
the negotiations for an agreement
with the de facto government will be
continued with the idea that such an
agreement would strengthen Carran-
"a at home and at the same time
make the task OF catching Villa
easier
The lines OF communication of the
American troops following Villa al
ready have been heightened to the
point where sending supplies has be-
come difficult and it is realized here
that it would be extremely hazard
Gus for them to go much further.
No War Dispatches.
No military dispatches were given
out today except one from General
Funston saying he had not heard
from General Pershing for three
days. General Fusion added that he
was trying to obtain from the front
an authentic report of what had oc-
CURED at Parral. where American
troops were fred on Wednesday by
Mexican civilians.
Much Importance Is attached to
this report in view of the negotia-
tions with Carranza. Although the
long delay and an unconfirmed re-
port today of a second attack on
the Americans near Parral caused
uneasiness in some quarters. Secre-
tary Baker shares the hope that fail
ure to receive an official report thus
far indicates that the American COM
mander considered the incident to be
without any broad Significance. If
he had viewed 1t as an evidence OF
widespread distrust OF the purposes
Of the American expedition, or had
believed even more serious clashes
were to be expected, 1t is thought he
would have exhausted every means
to report promptly.
Baker Still Hopes.
'I still hope" Secretary Baker
said. that reports Of the Parral Incl
dent are exaggerated: that 1t will
prove to have been local and acci-
dental and that there will be no
further consequences Of any kind"
The only word reaching the state
department regarding the Parral case
came from consuls at Mexico City
and elsewhere. They reported that
Mexican papers had minimized the
incident and that popular telling had
been little impressed by It.
No Serious Friction,
Oficials were much interested In
the report of the Parral incident fur.
nished Carranza military commanders
by General Obregon, war minister. It
was noted with satisfaction that this
also described the disorder as unim-
portant and did not suggest condi-
tion of serious friction between the
American troops and the civil popu-
lation.
AS matter of fact. the only re.
ports giving serious turn to the out
break and to which officials can at
e>>-
(Continued on page 6, first section.)