The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-03-31
WE'RE SHY ON TROOPS
Government Faces Big Problem
in Entering Mexico.
Can Muster Only About $4,000 Men
in Fighting Shape, but May
Call for Larger Force.


Washington. D. C.-The first ques-
ton which comes up in sending an ex.
petition after Villa is that of the
troops available. The only troops i'm.
mediately available are those. of the
regular army. OF the Is regiments
of cavalry, about three and a third
are out Of the country and therefore
not available. Seven are already on
the border. leaving four and two
thirds which can be sent.
OF the field artillery, one regiment
of light and one and half regiments
of mountain are on foreign service and
therefore not available. One regiment
Of light, one of horse. and half a regi-
ment of mountain are on the border
In the rest of the country there is only
one regiment and that is a siege one
the guns of which are too heavy to
be used with such an expedition as the
one after Villa
Nineteen infantry Regiments.
OF the 80 regiments of infantry
ten and two-thirds are on foreign sery.
ice, Is are already on the border, leav.
ing only four and third available as
a reinforcement. The first time the
troops were modified on the Mexican
border companies of coast artillery
were organized into battalions and
regiments and used for infantry. AT
the present time, however, due to our
strained diplomatic relations with 9th.
er powers. the coast artillery cannot
be spared from the coast defenses.
This means we have available to
guard our Mexican border and chase
Villa eleven and two-thirds regiments
of cavalry, nineteen and third regi-
ments OF infantry. 48 field guns. and
10 mountain guns. AS the regiments
are at peace strength, this gives a
force of about $4,000 to guard 1900
miles of frontier through a country
easily crossed by troops in any di-
rection and to catch Villa in terri
tory with which he Is thoroughly IA,
miliar.
Mexicans VIII Aid Villa.
A great advantage possessed by
Villa is that every Mexican will aid
him in every possible way. He new.
er will lack information as to where
our forces are and as to what they are
dong. On the other hand, when dues.
toned by our men they will always lie
and give as much transformation as
possible
Villa can cause our troops serious
embarrassment by retreating practi,
cally straight south. 1t is true that
there are Carranzista forces occupy.
ing most of the principal points north
of and including Mexico City.
South of Mexico City is the territory
held by Zapata who has never come
in since the original Madero revolu,
ton. While little has been heard
about him in this country, he general
/ ~ has more followers than had Villa
In his palmiest days. He excites even
more terror among the natives than
| does Villa. He has threatened Next
| co City itself on more than one occa
sion For these reasons there prob
| ably would be little difficulty in Villa
getting through the Carranza forces
to Iapata, should he wish to do so.
| Must Guard Communications.
AS our troops advance into Mexico
| their line of communications. becom
ing longer and longer. will need more
/ and more troops to guard it. Also
the natives will come more and more
to believe that a genuine invasion
is being made. At the present time
SO much hatred OF the American ex
lists just south of the line and so nucf
hatred of the Mexican just north of i
that clash between Carranzistas anC
the American troops ia possible a
| any time