The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-13
Funston Not Deferred by Order
., to Withdraw Troops.
Some Anxiety Displayed Over
Mexican Army Moves.
MENACE PERSHING SUPPLY Line
United States Now Has $4,000
3 Soldiers in Campaign.
Border Well Fortified, Browns
Vile to San Diego, Cal.

1 San Antonio, April 13.-Until Cen
seral Funston receives orders from
Washington no change will be made
in the conduct of the campaign against
.Nilla. 1t was understood that unoffi-
-cial information of Carranza's request
swas sent to General Pershing today,
zbut on account of his location far at
zthe front it will be improbable that he
would receive il before tonight or to-
aInorrow. The news sent to him, how
ever. was nothing more than that con-
~tained in press dispatches and was
sunaccompanied by any orders that
would alter in the slightest his plan of
pursuit
General Funston was without Off
scial news or instructions from Wash
ington and said he would send no Of
ficial communication to General
Pershing that would change any de-
stail of the campaign until he had
sheard from the war department.
Dc Factos Menace Border.
Anxiety that has been manifest at
headquarters here for two days be-
lcause of the movements of the de
facto governments troops in Northern
Mexico was more evident today. In
formation at hand concerning the po-
sitions of troops along the Sonora
EhihuahuG state line indicated that
in the event of open conflict between
-the governme mt forces and those OF
General Pcrshing, troops from Sonora
-werc in such position as to be men
nee to the American line of cOmmuni-
cations
The skirmish yesterday at ParraI
was not regarded as serious by mill
tary men here except for the fact that
Ut was almost cOincident with the an
.nOunCement of CarIanZa that the fur
cher presence of Americans in MeX-
1co was undesira BILE. 1t was believed
Il it,e If
Iicer IN Northern Mexico already had
-been apprised of the intention of the
government at Queretaro and that the
encounter at Parrai might make the
-relations between the de facto troops
and the American forces more
Strained.
Border Has New Sensation.
4 Tel Paso April 13-The border
awaited with expectancy today the
answer of the American government
10 Carranza's proposal to treat re-
Isarding the withdrawal of the Ameri-
gan eVpeditionary force from Mexico.
q IN iIl Paso all was calm outwardly
nevertheless there was an undercur-
rent of emotion for on all sides it was
pointed out the situation is fraught
with many possibilities.
The military and civil authorities
nave been preparing against all con-
dingencics. The 1900 soldiers scat
tered along the border from Browns
vile to San Diego Cal, have been
Kept constantly on edge. The police
of the various cities, county officials
Rnd. in this state. the Texas rangers
have combined to corral Mexican agi-
gators and to nip in the bud incipi-
ent disturbances that might have de-
Neioped into embarrassing troubles.
Everything possible has been done to
fateguard the American side of the
13io Grande.
General Bell Assures AIS We'll.
In FL Paso. General George Bell,
Jr., commanding the base. has neg
iected 40 precaution to preserve
american life and property ir any sit
station that may arise.
There are reported to be in the
1eiShborhood of 5000 troops stationed
At Fort Bliss. These have been main
1ained in a mobile condition. Juarez.
FACING FL Paso from across the Rio
Erande has a Carranza garrison the
eXact size of which is not known 1t
has number of machine guns and
some cannon. Laredo Preside and
brownsville in Texas. Columbus in
New Mexico. Douglas in Arizona, San
SleSo IN California, and oil the lesser
aowns also have taken precautions for
Defense.
Army officers declared that in their
opinion General Carranza could not
nave presented his note to Washington
without having made military nren-
arations in keeping with the exigen-
PIES of the situation. Reports there
Tore that de facto troops were in posi-
1ion where they could cut the line of
communications established by Cen
eral Pershing were received as truth.
There is no great concern here for
general Pershing's forces 1t is not
believed the safety of the American
columns has been jeopardized in the
hot pursuit Of Villa. Advanced de-
tachments under Colonies bod and
Brown have penetrated almost to the
Durango border. more than 400 miles
south of Ell Paso
5000 De Factos Near Border.
Columbus. n. NJ. April 1S.-Here IS
The explanation today from General
Arnulfo Gomez at Aqua Prieta of the
movement of Carranza troops from
Sonora into Chihuahua:
Il have become convinced that Villa