Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-20

An American army officer was fired
upon this evening while passing a
small town near this camp in COM
pany with a dispatch bearer.
The shooting was without effect.
Cavalry troops today located the camp
Of CandelariO Ceryantes, a Villa lieu
tenant, in the mountains some miles
from here. Apparently Cervantes' out
posts were able TO give him word of
the American approach, but his es-
cape was narrow. Seven horses were
taken. Three MeXicans found in that
vicinity were brought 10 headquarters
10 be questioned. D..
San Antonio, April s0.-Early with
drawal of the troops sent into Mexico
as punitive expedition or the au-
thorization of military operations on
big scale, must be the result of Gen
eral Hugh L. SCOTS investigation of
the situation, in the opinion Of army
officers here General Funston and
his staff are ready to show the chief
Of staff all the written records of the
failure to catch Villa and are prepared
to place him in touch with the unwrit-
ten evidence.
Say Villa Can Be Caught.
Villa, if he Is alive, can be caught,
officers here believe, but only by the
adoption of plan that Mexicans gen.
orally almost certainly would charac-
terize as war Hostility of Mexicans
q has become so marked that these Of
fcers are convinced further operations
must be undertaken with the under
standing that armed opposition by both
factions will be met.
Troop movements ordered by Cen
eral Funston were being carried out
today. General Pershing is holding
intact his 10000 men, stretched from
Columbus to points almost four hun
dred miles from the border.
General Pershing has sent through
several reports in the past As hours
but General Funston has made none
Of them public.
Ell Paso, Texas, April 20.-While the
American punitive expedition is mark
ing time today in its pursuit Of Fran
cisco Villa, efforts are being made to
strengthen the army bases and lines OF
communication. Fears are openly ex-
pressed by army officers that should
an order come to withdraw the Amer
lean troops, the Villa and other ma
rauding bands will raise the cry that
the American troops are in retreat,
with the result that the American
army will be subject to constant night
attacks and sniping as they retire
from Mexico.
Prepares for Emergencies.
To prevent such warfare against his
columns, General Pershing is prepar-
ing to be in a position TO move his
forces in large units The belief is
general at Fort Bliss that the United
States troops will encounter more diff
hculues in a withdrawal from Mexico
than they did on their rapid 400-mile
drive from Columbus to Parral.
No word has come from General Ca
vazos, who, with Colonel Carranza,
was reported to have gone to San
francisco Borja to bring back the
body Of villa.
dispatch from chihuahua says to-
Gay that the Parral district is quiet
and that Villa is not dead. but has
passed far south into Durango, many
miles from the nearest American col
umn now resting at a point near Par
raj.
Believe Villa Dead.
The growing belief that Francisco
villa is dead, whether or not his body
mas been recovered, was strengthened
al I'll Pas0 today by messages re
celyed by American mining concerns
mere from their agents at Cusihuir-
lachic, Parral, Santa Barbara and
Guerrero.
All Of these messages agreed that