Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-07
NO JUNKET|NG TRIP
UNITED STATES TROOPS PUR-
SUING VILLA IN MEXICO
HAVE HARD TASK.
BANDITS ARE VERY SLIPPERY
Experience of Soldiers in Rounding Up
Mexican Outlaws "a Years Ago Is
RecalIAd-ArtiIIery Now Mainstay
OF Every Army in Field.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

By GEORGE CLINTON.
Washtngton.-The American sol
diers across the border are not on
junketing bent. It is said here to be
the hope and the prayer Of the army
officials that the Villa followers will
stay together and that the pursuers
can hit them hard once and then cap
ture those who survive the blow. The
danger, as Washington views it, is
that the bandits will separate and car
ry on guerrilla warfare in detached
bands. The other and greater danger
Is that the troopers must be followed
into Mexico by huge army ready to
take the field against all the soldiers
which Mexico can throw against
them.
When Gen. Leonard Woods chief
of staff spoke out in meeting to say
that if intervention in Mexico is
forced an army of 100000 American
soldiers will be necessary to complete
the job, it furnished pretty good evi-
dence that all army officers are not
muzzled.
Intervention apparently is not the
i intention OF the administration. What
will amount to Intervention, however,
Washington says, will be necessary
If the Carranza groups join the Villa
groups and the groups of the other ten
or dozen Mexican leaders. Colonel
Glenn is is said voiced the belief of
the officers of the war college who
have made the Mexican situation a
study for some years.
Bandits Hard to Catch.
Recently it was told how long it
took the United States troops, and
there were a good many of them in
the field, to round up $50 bandits op-
Grating on this side of the border in
| 1892. So certain were the bandits OF
security from capture, because of the
nature Of the country in which they
! were operating, that they would ap-
American foTces, taunt them and then
disappear into the jungles and other
hiding places, confident that their re-
treat was safe.
There are some officers now in
Texas who took part in the long
drawn-out campaign against Mexican
bandits "a years ago. Your CORE
spondent was in the field at that time
with D troop of the Third cavalry. He
was acting as correspondent for 6
| Chicago newspaper. Personal wit
ness can be borne that the troops il
the field at that time constantly were
alert to duty, were constantly in the
| saddle, securing great sections of des
ert country, doing everything anC
willing to dare everything to effec
| the capture of the renegades. It wa:
the nature of the country and nothing
else except, of course, the sympath.
which some of the civilian populac,
felt with the bandits, which made th'
chase such prolonged one.
Some of the war department Off
cials fear that, although much large
American force will be in the field ol
the present occasion than was tn
case "a years ago, the circumstance
of the former campaign will be repeat
ed and that one hunt may resolve il
self into many hunts, each to be pros
ecuted separately and each to be cal
ried to a successful outcome befor
the end sought can be reached.
One night in March, 1892, D troop Q
the Third cavalry, in the field agains
bandit followers Of Caterino E. Cara
was encanped at the Palito Blanc
ranch in Nueces county, Texas. TIL
camp was not far removed from tn
edge of the chaparral, which was man
miles thick at this point, extending it
tangle of thorny domain well down tt
wards the edge of the Rio Grand
river.
So daring we're the renegades an
so firm was their belief that they coul
escape capture no matter how vel
turesome they were, that they cam
close to the camp at night, climbe
into mesquite trees and signaled wit
, lanterns to one another across th
, camp of the troopers. There was n
, reason for the signaling and it wa
diers, who would leave camp on tn
, instant of the appearance of the frs
| light and make a determined effort t
| capture the intruders, who simpl
slipped away into the blackness of tn
, night and the thickness of the chapa
! raj.
Every once in while scouts woul
come into camp and report the a
t pearance of bandits at this place {
) that place. Instantly the trooper
, would mount and start on the trai
but almost invariably they came bac
' empty-handed.
}, Some of the officers who were e
gagged in that campaign, and who al
y still in active service, are: Col. JOSEF
4 T. Dickman, commanding the Secor
g cavalry; Lieut.. Col. John w. Hear
: now stationed in Texas; Col. Geors
A. Dodd, now on the trail in Mexict
Il Col John T. Knight and others Oh
t of the officers most active in the pu
I suit of the Cara outfit was Cal
t George F. Chase, who now is brig
/ der general on the retired list.
Artillery Arm of the Service.
While the main dependence of Il
l. advance guards of the America
7 forces in Mexico will be the ca
!. airy because horsemen move ligf
Il Tact Ta74L