Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-11
AMERICAN EXPEDITION AGAINST VILLA TO ENTER MEXICAN TERRITORY TODAY

for the mountains that parallel the
boundary line of the state Of Chihua- |
hua and sonora. when forced to re-
treat. There Is reason to believe that
he is now making his way west and
south 20 seek shelter in the hills He
is known To practically every peon
there and In the south near Guerrero
are the people among whom he was
born.
Capture Is Difficult.
once back in the mountains and
bcfriended by those who fear him, as
we'll as those who idolize him, the
bandits capture will tax American
ingenuity. IN hiding and dodging
from place TO place, he is recognized
as an adept and once "thc fox" was
a popular sobriQuet applied to him.
Should villa concentrate his men
the problem of his capture would be
simple, say officers here. but they do
into an open fight. The most promis-
ing factor from the American view
point is shortage of ammunition. 1t
Is known thai Villas men have been
conserving their already reduced stock
OF cartridges and have no source
from which to obtain more. Their
guns are in Bad condition and many
weeks ago they lost practically all
their artillery and machine guns. 1t
Is doubted hore IL villa has any can
non, or more than two or three guns
with little ammunition for them. The
killing at Columbus OF Pablo Lopez
deprived him of his most efficient
aide.
supply sources Cut OFF.
The country through which villa
will be forced 10 fight or flee has
been SO harried in the last few years
of civil war that the opportunities
for forage have been greatly reduced
His own plan Of driving off ana sell
ing herds of cattle has further reduc.
ed his means of continuing the fight
To the south of Chihuahua. across
sandy and unproductive stretches OF
country there are operating an un-
known number Of Villas men about
/ lOI1tOn anu III illt SAdNf VI ifAi hAttR
These have lately conducted darinl
raids and are said to be IN better
shape than those villa has with him
Carranza Has $1,000 Men.
Carranaas army at the present II
said to be not less than $4,000 and III
has increased his store of ammuni
ton. lie has approximately 200 can
non. most " them ~ milimeterc gun
of a French make. His store OF am
| munition for these is not great, how
ever. and the guns have seen har'
service in the last two years.
i The de facto government forces ar
almost evenly divided in the north an
south. General Obregon has in So
nora, his own state, more than 1900
of the best men, and an equal mum
Der is operating against rebels in tn
states of Morelos, Oaxaca and Puebla
south of Mexico City.
In the region where villa is nov
operating small Carranza garrison
are located at most of the towns alon
the railroad from Juarez to China
hua and on the Northwestern rail
road that makes n wide sweep west
ward from Juarez to Chihuahua. Thi
district includes Casas Grande. wher
there Is a Mormon colony, MADEIRA
/, where Americans and Canadians ar
] employed by \ lumber concern, an
Pearson, where foreign interests ais
are located. The five thousand troop
Carranza today announced he had or
dered to join in the pursuit Of Villa
il is believed, will be taken from thos
garrisons.
No Request to Carranaa.
i II was learned tonight that tn
state department did not ask Ambas
sador Arredondo to request permis
sion of his government for America
J troops to enter Mexico or for the co
operation of the de facto troops be
cause he wished to avoid placing Car
rama in an embarrassing position
The department realized that if h
were forced to refuse, the dispatch q
the punitive expedition would be a
act of war. while for him to acced
might create friction for the frs
chief with the radical element, al
! ways anxious to resent foreign inter
ference regardless of the motive
{ Ambassador Arredondo merely wa
) told by Secretary Lansing of the de
cision of the president and tonight h
sent this information to Carranza.
t.x. xfssuF