The Washington times., 1916-04-02

guarded. from which pack mules Will
have to take the supplies to the troops.
Ammunition Another Problem.
The matter of moving ammunition for
the artillery is another problem that Is
serious IL the railroad Is not used. for
artillery ammunition Is heavy and
trucks cannot haul much OF II. The
ammunition for the rifles is a small
matter OF the transportation difficulties.
Artillery ammunition and food are the
main difficulties, and food for the
horses Is not the least OF these, for
there Is little food in the region where
the troops are operating, although It
was possible to purchase some alfalfa
from the Mormon colonists near Casas
Grandes.
General Pershing Is holding down the
censorship tightly. and the news that
comes out is meager. II Is admitted
that the military authorities are putting
on the censorship not so much because
they are afraid Of villa knowing their
whereabouts. but in reality to test the
ability of the army to control the corre-
spondents.
At first the censors let a number or
| innocent looking messages get past. but
now they have to be certain of every
| thing before 1t goes out of Columbus.
| and II they are doubtful about any
thing, they hold the message long
age, before sending IL.
| The trick Of one correspondent that
worked and didn't work is keeping a lot
OF other correspondents from wiring
| TO their papers for money. This corre-
| spondent arranged with another CORE
| spondent for the same paper at El paso
| to wire him for $40 the minute the
American expedition left for Mexico.
/ lie 20 hn NlA uIa al a.
beat" to their paper.
When the troops went across the
| censorship was on, but when the cor
respondent walked in to send his mes
censor Immediately passed II, and. an
hour before any other news reached III
Paso regarding the starting OF the ex-
petition. the message was there.
But the correspondent had promised
TO send message asking for $40 and
he had filed one asking for $50.
There mad been no news In El Paso
during the early hours OF the morning
TO indicate that the troops were about
TO leave. and the correspondent at El
Paso was afraid to take a chance on
the ffty-dollar message, so he had to
walt and curse and fume until another
correspondent got over a message from
Deming, north of Columbus. after a
race in an automobile to that point, be-
, fore he was certain the troops had
/ crossed.
Another Failure.
/ Another correspondent had arranged
: with his partner in FL Paso to tele-
phone him. The man at Columbus was
,, TO use conversation about a supposed
. woman. wounded by the Villa raid. and
he was to use the word left" in some
manner in the conversation, to indicate
> that the troops had left FOR Mexico.
r But there was a soldier censor on the
. switchboard. and. after the correspond
ent had called FL Paso on the pretext OF
. telling about the wounded woman, the
, soldier became suspicious, and just al
/, he said the woman was wounded in the
. leg-then he was going 20 accent the
\ left leg-the censor pulled out the
7 plug, whether by design or otherwise
: and the man at FL Paso swore and tried
franticallv to call Columbus again, but
| failed TO raise his partner.
Another correspondent arranged an
elaborate code with a fellow cores.
El Paso end left It in his room at the
II hotel, and the maid carried II out in
J. the waste paper the very morning OF
the day the troops went in.
D. When the code message reached him
: at El Paso, he didn't remember what II
s was. but took a chance on II and sem
l. II. The Deming message by telephone
had already scooped him. however.
These incidents recall the experience
" OF a correspondent at El Paso durinI
e the Madero revolution. when the "pcac,
10 conference" was being held just across
e the river from FL Paso. Correspondent
l. were barred, but a friend of one of tn
d correspondents had access TO the meet
IS ing.
l. He pl sed to find out what wa
% going and put II into a note, tie'
-e the not about a rock and threw
across the river. He did as he promised
le but an American sentry had meantim
y made his appearance on the America
u bank of the river and he picked up tn
D note and turned II over to the office
r OF the guard. The correspondent had I
wait as the others did and get his new
when the conference ended and tn
parties to II returned to FL Paso.