The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-30
LONG HUNT
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NCOntlnueO rage OneJ
the government to assume the risk.
that they are free to transport stuff
to Casas Grandes. but must do so at
their own risk. They are told, how
ever. that the field quartermaster viii
probably purchase such goods after
they reach their destination.
2 Army officers here believe that Co
ilumbus will be continued as an aux
iliary base. They point out that no
great reliance can be placed on the
Mexico Northwestern railroad as
sole line of communication because
of its poor physical condition. Three
fcompanies of the engineers depart
.ment are working to keep the road
Heading south from Columbus to the
army base in Mexico in good condition.
villa Raid Reported.
A report that Villa on Tuesday had
raided Santa Tomas south of Mama
ulIipa became current here today but
was not confirmed Neither General
iGavira, commander of the Juarez
garrison, nor Mexican Consul Garcia
had received any advices from Mexico
and officers of the Mexican North
western railway said they had no in
formation regarding the raid which
was not credited.
One Train in Two Days.
Ell Paso, March 30.-The first sup
niles to be sent by rail to General
sPershing's columns were expected to
he forwarded today from JuareZ fol-
3owing the permission granted by Gen
ican Northwestern.
/ + Anxiety now is mainly conferred on
what can be hoped for from the di-
] Iapidated Northwestern railroad. For
some time a schedule of one one train
3 in two days has been maintained be-
tween Juarez and Casas Grandes. The
distance is 16S miles and the trip is
made in anything from 2 to 20 hours
"A heavily loaded freight train is *
tpected to take longer.
,f May Be Restrictions.
One important question upon which
the army officials here are anxious TO
obtain light is exactly what interp eta
tion will be placed by the Mexican
officials on General Carranza's in
Estr1-ctions that supplies must be ship
ned in the ordinary manner as COM
nercial freight. If this is to mean
: that freight will only be forwarded on
fhe regular trains he amount of sup
niles to reach General Pershing's Oase
Sviu be small. While the railroad sit
nation has temporarily overshadowed
the actual pursuit of Villa interest
: WAS revived today by reports that in
stead of being far to the south as was
8 Generally supposed, he still was nov
,ering around Namaquipa-
80 The last word from the front was
! the statement by Colonel Dodd that
-four days previously Villa was report
( Howard Santa Caterina. No town of
( lrhe name of Santa Caterina appears
fion maps of Chihuahua, but there is
! u. terrazas ranch of that name, some
{ tTniies- east of FL Vale, one of the
I Temporary bases of the American ex-
lpedition.
~ This report considerably mystified
4 lAmerican observers here as it would
locate Villa some forty miles northeast
Z lof Namaquipa instead of twice that
distance to the south where all pre-
{vious reports have placed him
z, The explanation generally accepted
here is that Villa had adopted plar
,of deceiving his pursuers. He is be-
e1ieyed to have scattered his forces into
several different bands. Each band
travels in a different direction, dis
ipensfng the information that the CHIEF
fugitive is with it. AS the majority OF
tthe poems are believed in sympathy
with Villa false information probably
lis the most bountiful article supplied
TO the American pursuers.
Il Americans here who know Villa are
.unshaken in their conviction that he
is in full flight to the southeast. They
sooint out that the district around
z sParral is the logical place for him tC
Jzaalxe to, as he has thousands of SYM