The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-03-14
BORDER MUST Be
FIRMLY GUARDED
Troops will Not Invade Mexico
at Once.
FEAR is FELT FOR COLONISTS

TwosRegiments at E Paso Entraning
Troops from All Parts of Country
Being Pushed Toward Mexico-Car-
ranza Commander Refuses Troops
to Move Mormons PeriIed by Villa.
FL Paso, Tex, Mar. 13-Carranza
forces and not those of the bandit
leader Villa will be the first to oppose
the invasion of Mexico by the United
States, according to secret service in
formation which was brought TO the
American side of the Rio Grande.
During the day it became known at
the military headquarters at Camp
Cotton on the river bank and at Fort
Bliss that the grumbling of the Car
rama garrison of Juarez over the
promised coming of the "gringoes"
was approaching open mutiny. Car
rama officers who made attempts to
silence anti-American outbreaks heard
themselves called traitors by their
own men.
Ell Paso, Tex, Mar. 13-Three de-
velopments have brought the border
situation to a crucial point and re-
Vived the fear of general Mexican
uprising that followed the Columbus
raid last week. They are:
First-Continued raids and outrages
by Villa and his bandits, both in the
Casas Grandes country and east in
the Torreon district, have shown the
United States military authorities
that the Carranza government either
will not or cannot check the activi-
ties of the "scourage of the border"
Second-Refusal of General Gabriel
Gavira, in command Of the CarranZa
forces at JuareZ, to send troops to
Casas Grandes, where 500 Mormons
are cut off from all aid and threaten
ed with death at the hands of the re
treating Villa bands, and reports from
Americans aboard train arriving in
Juarez of insults from Carranza Of
fcers, have given General Pershing
and the military leaders at Fort Bliss
grave apprehension that Carranza
will, after all, unite with Villa against
by American troops.
Third-The report that American
troops were to move from Fort Bliss
through JuareZ as one of three col
umns of a punitive expedition to get
Villa, has brought evident unrest in
the Mexican colony of 10000 in Ell
Paso, and a general uprising is feared
simultaneously with the crossing Of
the first American troops over the in
ternational bridge.
Pershing Lines Up Scouts:
Ell Paso, Mar. 13.-General J. j.
Pershing spent IT, 4 fterpoon in con-
ference with . Der of cowboys
who have worked On the various big
ranches in Northern Mexico. Bishop
Hurst, representing the Mormon col
onists in Northern Mexico, also ad-
mits that he is gathering number
of young Mormons, familiar with
northern Mexico, for use as scouts for
the United States.
This, and the packing of the Sixth
and Sixteent infantry regiments in
Camp Cotton, in the southern part of
Ell Paso. were the only indications of
preparations for an invasion of Mex.
leo.
In FL Paso all the railroads are
busy "spotting cars for the American
troops. Practically all wholesale gro
cery houses were kept busy supplying
provisions to the quarterma sters of the
government. There was a general
switching of troops guarding FL Paso.
Border Must First Be Secure.
Mayor Lea was in consultation with
General Pershing and also had wire
communication with Washington rela-
tive to the protection of Ell Paso. The
mayor was assured that El Paso
would not be left without ample pro-
lection which leads to the belief that
no expedition into Mexico will be at
ed moving in this direction from in
terror United States points have
reached the border 1t is also general
ly admitted that even without corsid-
ering the necessity for border pro-
lection the forces now on the border
are not of sufficient strength to war
rant the United States expedition in
crossing the line at once. There is al
SO belief which not only maintains
in civilian circles but extends to mill.
tary circles that the United States is
in no hurry to rush an expedition into
Mexico until the attitude of Carranza
and his chiefs and men is more thor.
oughly understood by the United
States.
Takes Time to Invade Mexico.
An officer talking of the situation
said: "The United States is not ready
to go in yet. 1t takes time to get pro.
visions. transportation and other
things ready. The troops here on the
border could have marched into Mex
leo on three hours notice without
much inconvenience but railroad
equipment had to be secured and a
means of taking baggage and commits
saries had to be secured. The army
though it has been on duty ON the bor
der for five years, is not supplied with
the proper equipment for a campaign
The troops are supplied with every
thing for border guard duty, but no,
for an expedition, and it may require
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