Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-13
Funston Says Nature of Coun.
try Demands Careful Prep
aration to Avoid Disaster
FIGHTING GENERAL WILL
LEAD FORCES IN PERSON
Task May Be Long and Ardu-
Gus One, and Troops Must
Be Well Supplied

so secret are the pldnS IOTmeu ny
Maj.-gen Frederick Funston for the
invasion of Mexico and the capture OF
Villa being kept, that even the local
officials do not know whether the first
of the expeditions has started across
the border line In pursuit of the ban
dit leader and his horde Of ragged
murderers. All that is known here Is
that the commander OF the expedition
is at work and that arrangements are
progressing rapidly toward compile
ton.
General Funston will take personal
Charge of the expeditions sent into
Mexico to punish Villa for his out
RACES against American citizens. In
a statement given to the press last
night at San Antonio. Texas. General
Funston said that he does not believe
q swivel chair campaign" would
prove successful, and asks that the
American people be patient, as 1t Is
absolutely necessary that the arrange
ments for feeding and supplying the
troops should be perfected before any
attempt is made to cross the border.
Asks Nation to be Patient.
1.-THE American people must not be
impatient" declared the general. The
task before us Is long and most
arduous one, and one that requires the
most careful preparation. Nothing
could be worse than for the expedi-
ton to 20 OF half-cocked. Forage and
food, as well as ammunition and 9th.
er supplies for the forces that are
to be sent after villa. must be pro-
vided for in advance, as the country
through which the troops win move,-
win be rugged and for the most part
desert. with nothing but sage brush
and mesquite or cactus
"The water holes are few and far
between. and they are known to the.
Villa commanders far better than they
are TO our men. Il becomes necessary
therefore for us TO move with great
caution.
The complaints that have been
made because We did not rush troops
across the border at once are without
basis. Besides the Qusation OF d mo-
bile and effIcielll con1missary, the
places that are vacated by the soldiers
used IN the expeditionary forces must
be filled n the border is to re-
main guarded, and that ! conceive is
q vital necessity under the conditions.
"Tllese troops who have been doing
border patrol for months are broken
TO Mexico so to speak and they are
the men + want with me when we
start. But their places will have to
be taken BY other troops, and 1t viii
take time to get those troops to the
line
Asked regarding HIS plans for the
conduct OF the campaign. Gem Fun
ston said.
Il don't mind saying that there will
be number OF columns started at APP
proximately the same time and from
different places along the border. Nat
urally. am unable to give out any In
formation a. 10 the number of these
expeditions or the places from which
We are planning 10 send them out. The
entire control Of all the forces will be
inthe hands Of The commander of the
expedition.
PERSONALLY shall 60 to the trout
with the men. do not now, any more
than In the past. believe In swiyet
chair campaign. Such campaign
gets nowhere. in my opinion. hope
70 finish this business as soon as pos
sible. but am taking no increased
risks by hurry
Aero Squadron Goes Along.
Gen. Funston said that one of the
things he had been most insistent
upon was the presence of an aero
squadron TO assist the troops chasing
villa. Such help In finding the flee
ing Mexican bandits would be invalu-
able, declared the commander of the
expedition. He is also planning to Sc
cure the services of well-known civil
ians as scouts.
These men will, Of course. go with.
troops for the most part. Their work
will be very dangerous for all OF that,
as II goes without saying that our adj
vance parties win frequently come in
contact with the scattered bands OF
the villistas Under ordinary war
conditions such parties could. If they.
found themselves hopelessly outnum-
bered, surrender as prisoners of war.
In this campaign such move is
impossible, for villa has sworn to muir
der every American he lays his hands
upon. Surrender therefore is but the
surest way of committing suicide that
can tnlnk OIL
Troops For Active Service.
The regiments ordered to take the
field for active service are the 1st.
18th and 18th Cavalry. The LIST Cav
airy. Col F. S. Foltz. is at present on
the border. two troops at Calexico and
four at San Diego. The 18th, Col.
James Lockett, is at Fort Oglethorpe
A squadron of the 18th is now on the
Canal Zone. the balance of the regi
ment. under COL Horatio Sickel. being
at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. Fort
Meade. S. D.. and troops E and H at
Fort D. A. Russell. Wyo.
The ID Battalion of Engineers, Of
which Companies E, G and H are at
Fort Sam Houston. Texas. under Maj.
i. rown, also have been instruct