The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-29
Diplomatic and Domestic Tangles in Mexican Situa-
 tion Overshadow Military
 Operations
ITO PRESS REQUEST
 FOR PERMISSION
 TO USE RAILWAYS
'Carranza Will Be Impressed With the Necessity for
 Action Before Perfecting Protocol

Washington, March 2S.-Diplomat tic
 and domestic aspects of the Mexican
 problem overshadowed it's military side
 here tonight, official reports from Gen
 eral Funston disclosing no change in
 the situation on the border. Congress rushed through an emergency appro-
 priation of $S,611,502 to pay for the pursuit of the bandits and the state department prepared to press General /Carranza for permission to use Mexi- can railways to solve the troop sup ply problem.
 Fears expressed in press reports from the border that failure to obtain use per the pursuit of Villa were not re- flected at either the state or war de- partments. Senator Gallinger, republi- can leader in the Senate, presented to Secretary Baker telegram from Sem ator Fall at Fl Paso dealing with the railway and border questions. It de- clared shipments of gasoline intended | for the American forces in Mexico were being held up by Carranza of icials.
 GOOD WILL GROWING "The departments dispatches of last night and today, while meagre and dealing with technical matters. indi- cate continued and growing good will Howard our expedition in Mexico,' Sec |retary Baker said later in state ment. Its object appears to be thor oughly understood by the people of Mexico. We have no dispatches indi- eating any cause for apprehension. The communication to General Car. ranza will be made through Special Representative Rodgers at Queretaro, to whom instructions went forward to- might. State department officials said that it seemed necessary to impress |upon the de facto government the need l for special consideration of the request to use the lines south from the bor- der without awaiting the perfecting of the protocol under negotiation. Whl'e there was no question but that suf- hcient amount of supplies could be fur nished to the troops by motor truck
 
 greatly simplify matters
 News dispatches tonight indicating that the American troops already were using the railroad lines in some sections were read with surprize at the war department, officials declaring there had been no official advices to that effect. It was thought that if the American comman- ders had used the lines on their own initiative it probably was done in CO., operation with the local Carranza authori- ties.
 MAY EXTEND WEEK There are indications that the check
 in the protocol negotiations resulting from General Carranza's counter pro-
 nosals may extend that discussion a week or more
 General Carranza's suggestions as to
 inc details of the protocol apparently are
 causing, serious study at the state de-
 partment While officials are reticent,
 if is understood the most important sug-
 restion deals with territory to be em-
 hraced within the scope of the agree
 ment. It is thought possible that General
 Carranza desires to set narrower limits
 than had been agreed upon in the original
 draft. Some officials think the first chief
 might be unwilling to have it disclosed
 (Continued on Page Ten)