The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-03-31
MEANS A LONG STAY.
ARMY OFFICERS BELIEVE JOB IN
MEXICO WILL TAKE CON.
SIDERABLE TIME.
FEAR MEMcANS MAY FIGHT
Factions May Unite Against Northern
Understandings Good Work In
the PhIlIppInes-NaVaI and Congress.
sionaI Circles In Controversy.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-Army officers here
say there Is no blinking the fact that
as the United States government has
been obliged to senG an army into
Mexico 1t will be forced to stay there
for long time before 1t completes its
work. There are some military men
in Washington who declare that the
comparatively small force sent into
Mexico for furnishing purposes and
with orders to stay there until the Job
is completed, probably will be as long
at the work as would larger force
engaged in a much broader field of
operations.
OF course as has been said by mill.
tary men and laymen scores of times,
II big army eventually goes into Mex
leo 1t will go because the necessity
seems to be that 1t must fight the fol-
lowers Of all factions in the southern
country including the adherents Of
the de facto government under Car
rama. So If an American army goes
in, that Is big army and not merely
a punitive force, 1t will mean that the
Mexicans, spurred by what they think
is pricking Of real patriotism, will
have joined together to fight the north
ern invader.
II the Carranza following holds of,
the work OF the United States troops
will concern itself only with the bandit
bands. but before these can be round.
ed up and the work of paciflcation
completed II is held by many Wash
ington officials that a long time will
have elapsed, much money will have
been spent and probably many lives
will have been lost.
ROW the Army Views Il.
This is the army view of the matter
and 1t is based on what has happened
in Mexico and on this slice of the bor-
der in the years that are past. Col.
G.. A. Dodd of the cavalry is In COM
mand Of part Of the troops on the
border. If Colonel Dodd does not
know how to trail bandits and how to
fight them probably no man in the
American army does. There are a
good many officers on the retired list
who have beon into Mexico in pursuit
of hostile Apaches snd there are more
of them who have fought Mexican
bandits in the chaparral and desert
countries along the Rio Grande.
Colonel Oodd when he was captain
in the Third cavalry was l.. the field
for two years against Mexican bandits
aided by some Texan-Mexicans, who
constantly we're raiding back and
forth across the border and who as a
rule made the chaparral country
south of the Nueces river their lurking
places.
Il look the United States govern
ment nearly two years to capture
about 300 Mexican and Mexican-Texan
bandits. The operations against these
thieves and desperadoes began early
in 1892 and lasted until the latter part
of the year 1898. The reason for the
success of the outlaws in Guiding the
troopers was that the Eature Of the
country in which they were commit
ting their depredations was such as to
make concealment easy ami effective
pursuit almost impossible.
It should be remembered that these
operations largely we're conducted on
thu American side Of the border. Al
that time American troops we're for
hidden to cross into Mexico, but nc
such inhibition held in regard to the
men whom they were trying to cap
ture. The outlaws went back and
forth at will. II the American troop
ers had been allowed to cross the
river the chances are that the career
of the bandits would have been cut
much shorter than was the case
Chased Indians Into Mexico.
In the early sos and somewhat
later, under an agreement with Mex
leo, American troops were allowed tc
cross into the southern country wher
actually In pursuit OF hostile Indians
Some officers now on the active list
of the United States army took part
in these trailing expeditions into the
mountains of Mexico and into the
desert regions where the bandits Of
today will betake themselves Il
pressed by American troops.
1t took the troopers a long time t.
put an end to the Apache raidings
Geronimo and the other Apache chief
with their bands considered them
selves virtually safe II they could once
get across the line into the Businesses
OF Mexico. The bandits of today may
90 where the Apaches went and ii Il
probable that following them win b.
colonies and lieutenant colonies who
as first and second lieutenants fol
lowed the same trails when in pursuit.
of the Apaches.
Army officers say that this sector
Of Mexico is one Of the worst in the
world in which to conduct n campaign
with any hope Of success. The coun
try is rough and for long stretches \
is waterless. One expedition which
went INTO Mexico in pursuit of Indians
could not find water for two days ant
the men came near perishing. VIII
this expedition was lieut. John W
Heard. who is now a lieutenant colone