Arizona republican., 1917-01-04
]! COMMISSION $
 NEXT MOVE |S
 UP T0 WILSON
Republican A. Ps Leased wirel

WASHINGTON. Jan. 3.-All the threads of the tangled situation be- tween the United States and Mexico were held by President Wilson tonight. The American members of the MeXi- American joint commission made to him late today personal report of their negotiations which have reached a deadlock, and whether the confer ences of the commission shall continue is question the president has added to those already under consideration, the determination of which shall shape the administrations future policy to- wards the de facto government
 Although an authoritative admission to that effect was lacking,eit became known that Secretary Lahe. Dr. J. E. Mott and Judge Geo. Gray, the Amer ican commissioners considered useless further attempts to affect q settle ment of questions at issue through the joint commission. They submitted to the president written report of their failure to have ratified by Carranza the protocol providing for withdrawal of the American troops from Mexico and for cooperative control of the border, and asked him to decide whether they should continue their conferences on other subjects as sug- gested by Carranza- ,
 The president and the three commis- sioners discussed the report for about an hour Afterward Secretary Lane re- ferred inquiries to the president The president did not wish to discuss the question in any of it's phases.
 At least one more conference with the Mexicans will be held. Some day this week Luis Cabrera. chairman of the commission. and the other two members, Ignacio Bonillas and Alberto J. Pani. are expected to the American commissioners here and receive their reply to CarranZa's latest communica.. tion
 It seemed certain tonight that some radical changes in policy would be adopted soon by tho United States The president continued his consider. alton of the withdrawal of General Pershing's forces regardless of Car. ranzas attitude, and of the sending of Henry r. Fletcher to Mexico City to, represent the government as ambas- sador. IL is known that neither of these steps would he regarded as inconsist- ent by the American commissioners
 In anticipation that orders would be issued soon for recall of the troops the war department has prepared a tentative plan of withdrawal General Scott. chief of staff. and General Bliss assistant chief of staff. conferred at length with Secretary Baker late to- day and il was said they discussed a request by tf1c yprefident for a report on what effect in the opinion of mili- tary men withdrawal of the troops would have.
 Not Preparing to Withdraw
 E44 PASO. Jan. 3.-Lieutenant Col onel C. <. Farnsworth base comman- der at Columbus. N NJ. who was here today to be examined for promotion to colonel, reported that no preparations were being made at the Columbus base Tor tne withdrawal of General Persh- ins's troops from Mexico. Colonel
 Farnsworth said hangar was being
 built at Columbus which would ac- commodate number of airplanes and
 that no extra clerks or other employees
 had been secured by the uuartermas
 ter corps there in anticipation of the early withdrawal of the expeditionarv forces.
 Merchants from the Casas Grandes district who have arrived here said the merchants and many of the farm CTS, cattle raisers and other residents or the district now occupied by Amer ican troops were preparing to leave there as soon as the expeditionarv force started for the border They fear Villa followers they explained. will oc- | cupy the district and loot the houses
 and stores and kill many of the peorfe because they were friendly to inc American forces. The Chinese lam drymen and merchants were especially alarmed at the prospect of an early withdrawal of the punitive expedition Because of the need for troops tr oppose Villas advance northward. the merchants from Casas Grandes say the Carrarza government will be unable to garrison that part of the state which, thev say, would be a fine field for the rowing bands of Villa | followers.
 Unccnfirmed reports of skirmish ing between a detachment of Villa scouts and part of General Fran cisco Murgia's column near Horcasi tas. thirty miles south of Chihuahua | City. were given out here late today | t'y the recently organized Villa junta | The Villa scouts were said to have ridden down from the hills and tC | have engaged a reconnoitering party sent out by General Murgia. Ar | tillery firing could be heard at Chi 1 huahua City, according to this re port. Francisco Villa was said by | this same source to have been a'
 Santa Rosalia yesterday and to have