Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-18
CAMPAIGN FOR
PUNITIVE PURPOSES
YELLED IN SECRECY
Railroad Bridge Burned in Path
of the United States
Troops.
CHIEF EXPECTED TO
RETREAT TO MOUNTAINS
All Plans Point to Prolonged
Guerrilla Warfare With His
Followers.

El PasO, Texas, March l7.-One OF
the American columns in Mexico was
definitely located tonight on the out
skirts of the Cazas Grandes region,
between the towns of Janos and As
cension, in a statement issued by
General Gavira, Carranza commander
at Juarez. ...s.. a..
General Gavira announced that he
had a telegram that courier from
the Americans who already had
reached Cazas Grandes, announcing
that the United States troops might
be expected about midnight. The
general said he had wired Lieutenant
Colonel Kefugio S. Davila, in COM
mand of the .constitutionalist garri-
son at Cazas Grandes, not to permit
the Americans to occupy that city.
American troops will reach Cazas
Grandes at midnight, General Gabriel
Gavira announced at Juarez late to.
day. Cazas Grandes is little moro
than so miles fro mthe port where
COL IT, J. Dodd's columns entered
Mexico, so that the Americans had
been moving more than 80 miles
day.
simultaneously came the first inti-
nation of activity on the part Of the
Villistas and of their intention, to re.
sist the American expedition in news
received that Villas followers q had
burned a railroad bridge On the North.
west railroad or Mexico, "a between
Summit and San Pedro, Chihuahua.
General Gavira'si information pre-.
sumably refers to the force made up
of the Seventh and Tenth Cavalry,
which crossed the border near Hach.
ita, N. NJ, and is said to be advanc.
ing by forced marches to protect the
Mormon colony, Colonia Dublan.
The two towns mentioned, Janos
and Ascension, are between 60 and
G5 miles directly south of Hachita.
on the Janos river. Janos, the most
southerly of the two, is about 20 miles
from Corralitos, near where the rail.
road bridge was burned.
On Northwestern Road.
The burned bridge was on the
Northwestern railroad between Sum.
NIT and San Pedro and directly in
the line of advance of the main ex-
peditionary force which started from
Columbus and would strike the rail-
road at GuZman, 40 miles north Of
Corralitos. 1t was close to the latter
place that the Villistas are said to
have murdered five Mexican ranchers
on Sunday and driven off their horses.
Intense Activity.
Arrivals from Columbus today re.
ported intense activity at the Ameri-
can military base They said fresh
troops were being sent forward across
the border both night and day and
that one aeroplane had Joined the
force in Mexico Seven other air
craft were circling over the border
constantly on scouting expedition.
Reach Villa Territory.
With the practical certainty that
the American soldiers had at least
reached the Villa territory, the Ques.
tion of absorbing interest on the Dor.
der as to how many men are with
Villa and will he fight or run? Am.
orleans from the Cazas Grandes re.
gion assert that poems there are Ger.
tain to support Villa, partly through
his system of terrorism and partly
through the glamor of his reputation
as warrior.
The Carranza officials here and In
Juarez insist that Villa has disband.
ed whatever men he had with him
and will not offer to fight, but will
rely for safety on his knowledge Of
the Sierra Madres, which he knows
by heart.
Fear Guerrilla Campaign.
Americans who know Villa and the
country in which he has taken ref.
uge are equally confident that he will
to check his pursuers by Q
guerrilla campaign.
The tension between the two m.
tons at this point on the border was
sharper today, as far as
Juarez was concerned. General Ca
vira coupled his announcement - to
the whereabouts of the American
troops with statement that ho
would no longer receive American
correspondence.
His instructions.
The instructions from Gen. Carrans
"a, said Gen. Gavira, did not giyo
him authority to let American troops
occupy city. It would be contrary
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