The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-08-22
BANDITS Are To Be
"MOPPED UP" At once
Border Guards Being Or
ganized To Hasten
Action


fetal announcements are being made
of how the United States Government
intends to handle the bandit nuisance
in Northern Mexico, from this point
on, but there is every evidence that
all preparations have been made to
meet future depredations with a swift
movement of troops such as now is
being conducted against the despera-
does who held the two army aviators
for ransom.
Swift moving cavalry. fully
equipped with machine guns and
guided by airplanes. it is understood
will be relied upon. and will be pre-
pared to move quickly from strategic
points along the border of the bandit
country on the Rio Grande.
Organization of the border guard
to insure the greatest speed in these
movements has been complete, the
cavalry regiments being so disturbed
as to place the nucleus of a flying
column at carefully selected points
along the Rio Grande.
New Plan Inauguratcd.
Movement of troops of the Sth
Cavalry into Mexico today. inaugural
ed the new plan, according to officials
and from this time on similar Incl
dents will be handled without
gloves" In announcing that Maj.
Cen. Joseph T. Dickman, commanding
the Southern Department had acted
on instructions from the War De-
partment, Secretary Baker minated
that only the dangers the two officers
were placed prevented an attempt to
rescue them by force.
When the reports of the capture
Of these two officers and theiI being
held for ransom" Secretary Baker
said, the hour of execution was fixed
for the next day in default of the
ransom being paid mere was, of
course no opportunity TO make a mil
itary restue within such time and |
therefore directed that the ransom
money he paid and That a force be
arranged to take up the hot trail of
the bandits and pursue them with the
hope of Oeing able to capture as
many as POSSIBLE"
FIRING Captives to L. :.
Details of how the dash was con-
conducted were left entirely to Gener-
al Dickman, the only requirement be-
ing that it should be made with n
swiftly moving force" Cavalry.
with many guns and guarded by air
planes, would he used. II captives
are taken. they will be brought to
the United states
The close proximity OF me bandit
rtn devious 10 the border led to the
hope that the american ,lIops might
Jvertake th'n, before they would
have time to scatter.
Reports TO the State Department
today froml the American consul at
FL Paso said that late last week,
General Dieguez, Mexican comman-
dant at Chihuahua City, had order
ed Mexican cavalry patrols out thru
the country where the American Of
ficers were held, but there was no in
dication whether these patrols still
were operating.
The department also was advised
by the American Embassy at Mexico
City that when it made representa-
lions regarding the capture of the
aviators the Mexican Foreign Office
promised to see that every possible
step was taken to assist in the rescue
of the men.
Dispatches to the department from
Chihuahua said the governor of that
Mexican state, with the approval of
President Carranza, had offered a re-
ward of $4,000 pescos for the capture
of Francisco Villa. Two colonies and
three captains of the Villista forces
captured by the federals were said to
have been convicted of treason Sun
day by military court-martial and
executed by a firing squad yesterday.
The Mexican situation was given
further attention in Congress today.
Representative LaGuardia, Repub-
iican, New York. introduced a reso-
luton demanding that Secretary Ian
sing make a complete report to Con-
gress on the capture of Lieutenants
Davis and Peterson and the negotia-
tions that led to their release.
Before the House Rules Committee
Brig. Gen William Mitchell, chief OF
operations in the army air service
testified that the 1900 officers pro-
yided for the air service In the pend
ing bill authorizing retention OF 49,