Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-22
BY JOSEPH II. GRAY.

many years q resident Of Arizona, ar,
a. newspaper correspondent and ed
tor and business man Of that stat
10 thoroughly familiar with the situs
ton. He has, 40 well, first-hand -
perience along the border. Mr.. Ora
arrived In Honolulu this week to be
come city editor Of the Star-BulIetin.
I To form an accurate conception o
the difficulties attendant upon th,
punitive expedition into Mexico is al
but impossible to one who has 40
been in the country traversed by III
expedition or in country similar b
It Those who do know the countr!
are not disappointed that Villa ha
not been killed or captured ere this
for they at no time anticipated al
early ending Of the expedition.
Here in Honolulu, where all Il
beauty and verdure, where water i
plentiful and burning sands AM
shadeless vistas are unknown, til,
foregoing statement is especially true
The resident Of the arid sections o
the Southwest alone conceives thu
magnitude Of the undertaking, tn,
hardships that must be overcome, thu
perils and its embarrassments.
First one must picture in ones
imagination sun-baked country
where the earth, under tramping feet
pounding hoofs and grinding wheels
becomes quickly ground not into SAND
but into deep, fine dust. At times
such dust is heavily impregnated with
alkaH. It Sits into boots and into
clothing, It rises and is breathed into
nose and mouth and settles into the
eyes and is an irritant wherever IL
lodges.
Roads that may be properly termed
roads are absent and those that have
sufficed for the light travel of that
country quickly become deep holIoRs
filled with dust. The rivers" are,
with very few exceptions, deep ar.
royos or washes that run brimful
after every rain and are mere dry
beds a few day later. Sagebrusll,
CROSSWORD and cactus, except after
the summer rains set in, are the sole
vegetation At varying distances on
either side rise precipitous, forbidding
mountain ranges, as barren and as
desolate as are the valleys that lie
between.
It was through a country such as
this that the expedition had to make
its way. It is through this country
that the line of communication has to
be maintained and supplies, munitions,
rations, yes even water, have to be
transported by motor trucks. The
slow travelling, patient and much
abused burro has heretofore been the
chief factor In such transportation ir.
that country, though occasionally
lightly laden wagons have been seen.
sLIne" 10 Grave problem. s.
AS the line Of communication be.
tween the base and the front has
heightened out more and more each
day, 1t has required more men to
maintain and to guard this avenue OF
communication. The available fight
ing force at the front was in eonse-
quence materially decreased, and as
the distance to the front from the base
further and further extended the prob
lem Of transportation of supplies deep
ened and widened.
II the expedition into Mexico were
one Of invasion and not merely q par-
suit OF bandits through country that
Is termed friendly" the problem
would be less serious. In that eyeat
supplies could be requisitioned, rail-
roads seized, that which is needed
could be taken. But on this expedi-
ton such q procedure is impossible.
With the permission Of Carrallza
and his de facto government for this
expedition to embark into Mexico,
with the conditions entailed and with
the assurances given, the mainte-
nance Of the line of communication
becomes Of still greater importance.
And when Il is considered that, de-
spite assurances of friendship, provi-
sion must be made against possibiIi-
ties Of = change of sentiment, the
necessity Of 4 strohg guard to main
tain the line Of communication be-
come the m0fD apparent.
These are but some of the difficult
lies that attended the expedition on
lts march s0ufhWard. Once villa and
his forces had found their way into
The rugged mountains to the south,
hose difficulties were still further en-
naneed BY new ones. Those who know
he roughhess and fuggedness of those
declare that they are rival.
ed only In the Andes and there are
seldom exceeded.
Delay Was Necessary.
Il was necessary to delay the pur-
suit Of VILLA until a force that might
pc sufficient could be mobilized, but
III OF that time the Fox" or as he
g often called, the Lion OF the
Worth, was slipping further and fur.
her away. Each day handicapped the
expedition that much.
Readers OF the history of Indian
warfare remember that it took years
Q run down and capture Geronimo. |
&c would flee from Arizona into New
Mexico and across the border into old |
Mexico. and then would slip back to |
1is businesses in the mountains Of
southeastern Arizona. How much |
more difficult, then, becomes the
problem of running down and capttr-
ng Villa man who has shown con-
lid0rohlo oEfl1 al oL.lsA. 1