Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-05
M|Ll 1T NJ MAY \
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CONTINUED from Pags One1

Continued from Pags One)
four hours Of drill daily, except Fri
day, when a practice march of from
seven to twelve miles will be taken;
Saturday, which is inspection and
wash day, and Sunday, when the
usual routine is dispensed with. On
all other days there will be private's
school in the morning, and a non.com
misioned and commissioned officers
school in the afternoon. At midday
when the mercury climbs the highest
there is period Of rest for men and
officers alike. .
The bringing of the troops to the
border serves the double purpose OF
protecting the border from bandit
raids and Of preparing the men for
field service. Some of the highest
military authorities here, among them
General Parker, commander of the en-
tire Lower Rio Grande district, say
it is possible the. guardsmen will see
service in. Mexico. In any event it
is expected that many of the gnard
officers will qualify to enter regular
army service as first and second lieu
tenants, and there will be many regu-
lar army positions to be filled soon
under the new defense act increasing
the regular army. It's expected, too,
that many of the men may join the
regular service. go. .r...r .t, ..
Men Nay Vote in Camp. 1870
"A report has reached Mercedes,
though official confirmation is lacking,
that the men from states without an
absent voting law will have an oppor-
tunity to vote in camp at the NoYem-
Der election. This would indicate the
troops are to be kept here thorugh the
winter. Another report is to the ef-
feet the men in camp along the border
are to receive foreign service pay.
This will mean an. increase of 20 per
cent for every officer and man, and
some interpret this to mean that the
troops here will be ordered into Next
co soon. II the men are given foreign
service pay, even though they remain
in camp here, it removes them from
the status Of merely a maneuver army
and put them in the class of an army
in service, this service at present be-
ing the protection Of the I border
raids. e.. ~ 81. ,.,,.s t
a., carranza Troops South, w.. ,.1
The CarranZa troops are in control
of the country south of the Rio Gran.
de river in this district, General Ri
caut, with headquarters at Matamoras,
opposite Brownsville, being in COM
mand of this district of Mexico. The
Mexicans have about 500 troops at
Matamoras ara number OF smaller
outposts along the river south Of Mer-
cedes and Llano Grande. The largest
concentration of troops along the riv-
er in this district is at Camargo,
where the Mexican railway. running
west from Matamoras along the iRo
Grande liver bends southwark toward
Monterey. At Camargo there are
about 10000 Mexican troops. Villa
troops have not operated in this dis
trict since they failed in two attempts
to take Matampras,, Some of the ban
dts which raided this section last
fall, however, are believed to have
been stragglers from Villas army.
The. Texas rangers for this district
have their headquarters here. They
are law unto themselves and are
more feared by the Mexicans than are
the soldiers. No questions are asked
when the rangers report that, their
Mexican prisoners were "shot while
attempting to escape" Until the re-
cent border troubles about forty rang
ers patrolled all Of, the Texan border
but the number has since been doll
bled. All the rangers are dead shots
and expert riders, They are now co
operating with the military authori
ties in. patrolling isolated districts
along the river. s4r.- ... T.
| Elaborate Spy System. $780,.
| Santa Maria, on the Rio Grande riv
er about seven miles from Mercedes
is the headquarters for. the so.callet
Underground" or spy system, main
Etained by the war. department for THU
district. Government spies go int
Mexico frequently, making their re
ports to officers of the Third regular
cavalry at Santa Maria. j. 49,.
| This district was long the center O.
bandit activities and. is the strategic
position for movements against Tam
pico,. 215 miles away, and agains
Monterey, 120 miles, away, and i
there is to be war with Mexico or in
tervention, the North Dakota troopt
are sure to see active service.
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