Evening star., 1916-03-09
RAID ON COLUMBUS
ST|RS UP DEMAND
FOR INTERVENTION
Administration Officials Admit
President May Be
Forced to Act.
BANDITS TO BE PUNISHED.
Is WHITE HOUSE EDICT
Not Indicated Whether Reliance
Will Be Placed in Carranza
or U. S. Troops.
PLOT BY VILLA IS SEEN
PLOT BY VILLA IS seen
Belief Expressed That Outrage Was
Planned for Deliberate Pur-
pose of Provoking Ameri-
can Action.

Faced by new crisis in Mexi-
can affairs by the Columbus mas
sacre. administration officials ad-
mitted that President Wilson
might find it difficult to refrain
! longer from actual interference.
What the administration lead
ers who favor a "watchful wait
ing course fear most is an out
/ break in Congress, with its con-
sequent effect upon the country.
The Senate particularly, which
contains many vigorous critics OF
the administrations Mexican pol
icy, has just settled down from
the furry over the Cusi massacre
of several weeks ago.
Edict From White House.
At the White House the only word
taken to punish the Villa bandits, but
it was not indicated whether Cen Car
whether American troops would be sent
over the line.
At the State Department il was said
| that the situation was very serious"
but that no announcement of what ac-
until the official investigation was con-
| cluded
Memorandum to Carranza.
| The State Department is understood
to have begun the draft of memoran-
dun to Gen. Carranza based on the
report of Gen. Funston
The memorandum is being prepared
with view to its dispatch in case Sec.
retary Lansing decides to present the
case to Gen. Carranza.
I 1t probably will be drafted along lines
similar to the communication sent Car
rama on the Santa Ysobel massacre
but because of the more serious asnec+s
of the present incident probably will
be firmer than the previous one.
! President Eager for News.
, The President sent word to the War
| Department that he should be notified
| Immediately of all Developments.
| Reports that American soldiers had
| crossed the border in pursuit of the
/ Mexicans were shown him The cop.
! viction prevails in official circles that
| the attack was a bold stroke on tho
part of Villa to force Intervention nv
| the United States
! Secretary Baker transmitted to Presi-
dent Wilson reports about the attack on
/ Columbus a s quickly as they were re-
! ceived at the War Department II w.s
said at the White House that vigorous
steps would be taken to punish the
bandits. The President directed Sec
| retary Baker to do everything possihIe
to protect Americans.
Hard Blow to Carranza.
While the policy of the administration
forces to deal with the bandits, some
| officials declared today that it was a
| grave question whether such raid as
| that on Columbus was not sufficient
evidence of the inability of the Car
rama government to deal with the sit
uation TO warrant sending American
| troops over the line.
| The raid started new agitation in
! Congress. where those who have op-
posed the administrations Mexican pol
icy openly charged that the attack was
| proof of their repeated declarat tions
that the CarranZa government was i'm
potent to deal with the situation, and
| a fulfllment of their predictions tina L
| another outrage like the recent Cusi
massacre, in which sixteen or more
| Americans were killed by villa bandits
! when they held up train, was only a
question Of time. There were indica :
tons early to-day that the Columbus
massacre undoubtedly would be the
signal for another outbreak in the
| Senate. where the opponents of the
Continued on Second Page.)