New Britain herald., 1916-03-20
J. 5. TROOPS CUT
 OFF IN REAR BY CARRANzA'SFORCE
(COntinucd from First Page)


 other than the wagon road that starts from Casas Crandes and winds Il course far down to the neighbor- : hood of the Santa Clara Ranch.
 This road most often clings to the bank of the Santa Maria river but sometimes climbs to the height of the adjoining mountains, Throughout It's length it is suitable for ordinary Wag- on traffic and for the most part, travel CTS say, heavy motor trucks could traverse it, With occasional assistance. Always it is within easy reach of the river.
 The Santa Maria liver. rising some forty miles south of Cruces and flow ing northWard to Lake Santa Maria a distance of about 300 miles, is shallow stream. Cattlemen driving their herds from tEe upper valley have used it's bed as highway for many years. Man, C~ these men who live in Fl Paso ooinr out that if cat v tic can be driven down the Santa Maria, cavalry horses can travel up it. and that it is therefore, d valuable adjunct to the army searching Cor Villa.
 If the army now is following the . EQul6 pIONIueu DN IT c wagon road and the Santa Maria. and is proceed ing with the speed it went from Col nmbus to Casas G andes, a few days march should bring it to the Babicora Lake region.
 From Galeana to Fl valle is about thirty miles, frt l El Valle to Cruces, about forty miles, and from Cruces to Nam1quipa som" tWeLty miles more.
 
 Namiquipa with :. strong garrison, IS one link in the chain of defenses which Carranza hes thrown about southern Guerrero to cut off the re- treat of Villa. Further west is the Carranza garrison C Madeira. North and west of Medera, General Gutter reg claims to hold all the passes lead ing into Sonora Despatches from Douglas quote General P. Elias Gales. military governor (" Sonora, as say Ing that the forces in eastern Sonora 1 are being reinforced constantly. It is | pointed out here that the most favor l able place for Villa to break through l would be at some point between Ma l dora and Mamie uiDa; or that he still 1 has open to him flight eastward to l his old fastnesses II the region of ! Cruces.
 If General Pershngs troops are following the route initiated in Golum bus and continued, according to the reports received by General Gavira and Colonel Bertani. through Casas Grandes to GaIeana, they must by this time be in the neighborhood or beyond Ell Valle. A part of the way south from Ell Valle the wagon road is an old travelled highway Later 1t runs into the mountains where there are forests of scrub oak and pine Tn this region, the Santa Maria is walled in by lofty canyons and would be unsafe for cavalry transit as huge boulders could be toppled down on the passing troops. How ever, the wagon road passes over the mountains and continues on to Cruces.
 Tn army circles here it has been hgelieved that Villa might try to keep on to the south instead of stopping in his old stamping grounds in the Cruces region. It was pointed out today that in his retreat from Columbus, N. M, he must have fol- lowed the course of the Santa Maria for part of the time, if the reports Announced by Gen. Gavira are true. The latest report stating that Villa had left the route at El Valle, march | ing southwest to the Pabicora lake 1 region, is regarded as significant as i is also the information that the at | tacker of Columbus has fOrsaken 1 Nanaiuuipa, where strong Carranza | attachments are stationed. A route to the west might offer 1 him a chance of eluding his pur- l sfers.
 Bail
 The fact that part of Gen Per 1 shing's men are still stationed near Casas Grandes also aroused comment 1 There is a prevalent expectation that sooner or later Washington will ask the de facto government for permits sion to use the Mexican railways for transportation purposes. The forces General Pershing holds near CasaS Grandes are still in touch with the Mexican Northwestern railroad. It IS said here however. that these troops may be infantry, left behind by the superior marching ability of the cavalry.
 The Santa Maria valley offers good opportunities for operating the ma chimes of the first aero squadron 1Aeight of which are under detail TOT # Mexican duty. At Casas Grandes, Ill Valle and Cruces there are stretches of level country that would permit landings and the start of new flghts- Moro Troops Arriving.
 CoIumbus, N. M, March Zo-ln- crea sed activity on the part Of troops stationed here and the arrival during the night of a number of troop ana supply trains indicated today that ch0 their way to augment the American punitive eXpeditionary forces now