Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-11-03
The HUMILIATION OF THE ARMY
Forced to See Murder Of Their Com
rades Go UNPUBLISHED

has been on what is termed service
on the Mexican frontier or in Mexico.
This "service" has Inundated the army;
| its only possible benefit has been politj-
cal and neither an aid to the American
people at large or to the Mexican people.
Now the National Guard has been called
upon for more Of this border service. !"
What the militia will do, in the light of
what the army has done, or rather has
not been permitted to do, is no better
shown than by few facts which every
army man knows and which the files of
any newspaper will evidence.
First came Mexican fighting inciden-
tai to attacks on the various Mexican
border towns which are devided from
sister American communities by the
waters of the Rio Grande, in Texas, and
by the imaginary international line, in
New Mexico and Arizona. Bullets, and
in some cases shells, fired from the
Mexican side made life dangerous and
killed American civilians from Browns
vile, Texas, to Nogales, Arizona.
In almost all cases the Wilson admin
istration warned the contending Mexi-
can factions not to fire over the line.
At first the warnings were taken
seriously. But as accidental fire killed
persons on the American side and
warnings from Washington merely
were repeated, the Mexicans became
more cocksure and then attacks were
made from the south Of the Mexican
towns, so that the fire in the American
communities was almost as great as in
Mexico.
This condition continued in fighting
at Matamoras, opposite Brownsville,
Texas, and especially at Naco where
the American and Mexican towns are
divided only by street. There was a
long siege Of Naco American troops
were hurried to the Arizona town with
artillery and the Mexicans were warned
not to shoot over the border. The
shooting continued over the border.
The inhabitants of Naco, deserted their
homes and slept in dugouts or on the
ground. The American troops on Amer
lean soil were barricaded or in trenches.
Several civilians and American soldiers
were killed and wounded. Washington
issued more warnings.
There was no embargo on ammunition
or arms entering Mexico at that time.
At Naco two wounded United States
soldiers lay on the hot platform of the
railway station waiting until a car could
be unloaded of boxes of ammunition. The
ammunition was placed on motor truck
and sent over the line to the Mexican
forces whose bullets American bullets
had wounded the two American SOL
diers. When the express car was emp
tied the two American soldiers were
lifted into it and the car dispatched for
post hospital.
The United States Army was ordered
into Mexico in pursuit of the Villa ban
dts who had raided Columbus, New
Mexico, and killed Americans and
pillaged American homes. The punt
tive expedition had orders, it was said,
to "get Villa dead or alive" To "get
Villa dead or alive" an army with artil-
lery and wagon trains was sent to the
! Chihuahua desert with orders not to
occupy Mexican towns or use Mexican
railways. Villa naturally could travel
many times more rapidly than Perish
ing. Genral Pershing, skilled and
daring soldier, probably could not have
caught Villa except by accident until
the bandit reached Patagonia. PERISH
ing knew this, and almost every soldier
in the army knew it. If the Carranza
troops didn't stop Villa, the bandits with
no impediments could run faster than
the American Army could pursue. 1t
was like sending out an army to catch
Jessie James in Oklahoma with orders
not to go in any town or use any rail
way. Jessie James could 60 in any
town and use any railway he pleased.
| Only public sentiment could catch Jes-
sic James. There was no public senti-
| ment in northern Mexico to catch
Pancho Villa.
Then the Carranza central govern
| ment, which has been recognized by
the Washington Government as a de
facto element, protested against the
presence in Mexico of American troops.
Villa was lost. Pershing had struck,
after masterful drive over the deserts
the railway lines and the towns which
he might not enter. He was holding
the sack, which was sack full OF sand.
In spite of this the punitive expedition
was held in Mexico, not pursuing Villa,
or protecting any border except the
small portion on the New Mexico line.
The brushes with the few Villa band
it's left behind were insignificant.
There were only two fights, and these
with the Carranza- recognized Govern
ment. Pershing had orders not: to at