New Britain herald., 1916-03-29
vs. WILL HELP
ping MEXICAN
RanCher Says Villa
| Never Be Taken

ontinental divide, Francisco
eng southwark. today. Hard
nll, the -caValrynen of the
ties army are straining
e to, catch up with him be
~ reach the wastes almost
70 any but Mexicans and
which he began his
ii bandit years ago.
bsence of official news of
he border has settled down
stion, based on such slim
SFe brought back to the
tes by American mining
ranchers who straggle in
ns familiar with Mexico -e
animous in their opinion
troopers of the north, oper-
an unfamiliar country and
corn-fed horses of the
re tremendously handicapped
Iae Mexican bandits on their
bred ponies, 1t is not a
Of nerve or courage, it is a,
Of climatic. topographic and
katura! conditions against
lie stoutest heart and strong
|S les are virtually helpless.
efican lsaucher's Views.
american rancher. who is "a
sth the country through which
Il retreating, expressed the fol-
lew of the situation today:
HHAve known Francisco Villa for
years. For many years l was
Wl&te man in the country in
hee lived. 1 know his habits,
9ceases Of mind and the Tara
VI Indians among whom he is
sent I have very little hope that
nerican cavalry can ever catch
CIV that he has, presumably fiji
more miles start of them. Villa
Is men, mounted on their Mex
onies, can travel forty miles a
18th ease, and fifty miles if
q. '-fe - -~..%.
nd some corn meal. With this
Blanket strapped behind their
S they can travel indefinitely.
ire this with the equipment of
nerican trooper, who makes
five miles a day at best.
Indians Favor Villa.
e Tarahumare Indians will not
he slightest assistance to the
cans, bot they dig up their last
of wheat for Villa. More than
hey give him speedier informa-
bout his pursuers than the fast
rsemen could give. There is no
that coule keep pace with these
Is in that country. I have often
me of them from my ranch ID
a, distance of eighty-two
He could. start in the evening
each Minaca the next morning.
impossible to tire them
II they need for subsistence is Il
ball of dried meat that they
with them.
other difficulty is that there is
lily no water in that country
md what little there is will be
up soon. There may be a few
RS in May, but there will be
lg like what is needed for a
body of troops until after June
Ie date when the real rain be-
rancher was asked what diff
,e he thought the introduction of
lanes in the chase was going to
of Little Value.
hardly think they will prove of
reat assistance" he said. In the
olace the aviators will be starting
an altitude of 5000 to 10000
They will then be flying over the
.ry of rugged hills of granite,
in thousand ways by gulches,
es and great canyons. There are
rous valleys of course, which
road and fairly level, but to de-
into one of these would be a
n of great danger. On the hot
nd calfnest days of summer you
limb from a valley where not a
h of air is stirring, and encounter
Id on the top of the hills which
! take a strong man off his feet.
aot air rushes up the slopes and
into a small hurricane when it
les the colder levels"
Torreon Objective.
e rancher was positive that Villa
fer Torreon as his first
objective. The Villa follow ers
have been operating about thai
are numerous and apparently
supplied with ammunition ana
les If he can reach them suf-
thy ahead of his pursuers to Or
e the scattered bands into a
D he may try to strike a decisive
against the Carranza forces OF
Ignaco Ramos, capture Torreon
strike southwark TOR Mexico
d -
tho meantime the border ha!
I'd down into almost complete
+. This is ali the more marked
use it follows period Of almos
'ish excitement. There are muir
) Of unrest and the authorize:
not relas ed in the slightest thei
against an outbreak blu