Show BANDITS BAND TS FLEE FAR FA BEYOND u. u M Brigands Now Operating South of Chihuahua City According to Reports Reports Reports Re Re- ports at San Antonio NEW ARMY ORDERS More Soldiers Have Been Sent Into Mexico to Protect Extended Lines c of f Expedition at Front SAN ANTONIO Tex April 4 Official Official admission of the belief belief be- be lief t that at Vil Villa has has' fled le far beyond the American forces and now is operating south of Chihuahua City was made at t General Funston's headquarters today Since yesterday yesterday much h information a i n indicating that 3 was in th the neigh neigh- c. c t J in Parr as d put but tat regarded regarded re- re by General lunston as most reliable c came caine nie from Consul Letcher at Chihuahua How many prisoners have been taken by General Pershing's forces since crossing the the- theline line into Mexico is unknown at General Funston's headquarters headquarters' head head- quarters quarters' None of General Pershing's reports before or since the battle at Guerrero contained information concer concer concerning con con- ing prisoners or wounded Mexicans cans sans ns Campaign Hampered If it it is proved beyond doubt that Villa VUla is on his way south perhaps toward Parral and e even Torreon campaign against him bm cannot be cat car ried ned much farther unless the railroads between Chihuahua and anu the border are made available for the movement of troops or enough more troops are sent into Mexico to strengthen greatly the lines of communication This was frankly stated at General Funston's Funson's headquarters where it also was intimated intimated inti inti- mated that representations would be made to t the e war department WASHINGTON 4 April General Funston advised the war department today that he was sending more troops Into Mexico from Columbus to protect pro pro- I the line of communication with General ft 1 Pershing He did not state whether any additional troops had been sent forward to the military base i Troops at Columbus Columbus I J e So te far reinforcement General Funston of l has not suge suggested sug sug- General Per shing's s forces t ct the extended except merely to protect pro pro- i lines and there communication was loday no confirmation today of border reports that extensIve additions to the fighting be required g S would Late reports to the war war de department pa rt ment say that parts of the Fifth euth cava cavalry 1 ry and d t the e th TWentieth and Eley Elev- and fourth T fourth ty-fourth infantry were e station stationed d at Columbus e Private advices that Villa has has- definitely seeming bela been to tn loca located show d south of Chihuahua were f today by the state department received and and ami at once turned turned- over to the war d depart part ment for transmission to General Per Per- shing Apache Scouts 1 Nineteen Apache scouts and trailers have lR ave ve been ordered from Fort Apache Ariz to General Pershing's column Captain Hazzard of the Tenth cavalry who was was- with General Funston when he captured Aguinaldo left with the scouts couts for the border today but but he be will not accompany them into Mexico The army censorship today veiled Continued on page e 2 2 BANDITS FLEE Continued from page 1 the number and personnel of the additional ad ad- troops which have been sent senta a across cross the border Major General Scott chief of staff starr said the extra troops had left Columbus two days ago i but no word of the movement had been allowed to leak out It was be- be li ved that the Fifth cavalry recently sent Jent from Fort Myer lyer Va Fort Sheridan Sheridan Sheri Sheri- dan lan Ill and Fort Leavenworth Kan was drawn upon Doubt Villas Villa's Injuries Two messages came to the state department department department de de- de regarding the alleged location loca loca- tion lion of Villa south of Chihuahua De Dc- officials believe that from their Information and press reports It was definitely established that he was headed south Today's official lal dispatches varied regarding the reported injuries of the bandit chief At the state department those those In close touch with the chase doubted that he had been hurt They pointed out that since Villas Villa's light ight lighton on March 27 with the Carranza garrison garrison garri son son at Guerrero he lad had apparently traveled about miles through mountain paths over the roughest of country and that If Ir wounded such a feat would have been almost ble ie EL PASO Tex ex April 4 With With Francisco Villa still In flight and his whereabouts apparently unknown to bis pursuers the campaign of the I United States army now scouring n northern Chihuahua Mexico for the I In bandit and his followers entered today to to- day day clay upon what may be considered as a ac c second ec nd an and broader phase New troops I i have hae been been ordered to depart from the military base at Columbus N. N M M. into Mexico to protect the lengthening line of or communication which is rapidly becoming as the flying columns columns columns col col- col- col of American cavalry advance southward Villa at Many Places Villa has been reported at many points within the broad zone zono that ranges from the Rayon Raron country to 10 the Benito Juarez district The last Mexican report was that Villa was south of and heading beading for Parral Par Par- Par 1 ral ral Jut but ut this could not be confirmed The difficulties of the pursuit of Villa have nave multiplied 1 because of the misleading misleading misleading mis mis- leading information given by Mexican peons to General Pershing's men Army men here believe that Villa moves southward with his lila trail well covered for the time at least and it itI will be necessary to establish new army bases and strongly guard the I line of communication To do this large reinforcements of of American troops will be needed Meanwhile the use nse by th the American army of the Mexico Northwestern railroad for the transportation of or supplies becomes more Important Heading for Torreon Already the question has arisen as to how far the tue pursuit of Villa will proceed and it is believed here that the developments within the next ext week or ten days will bear on the answer There is little question any longer longeron longeron on the border that Villa Is heading for tor Torreon in the nei neighborhood of which city he lie will find Canuto Reyes one of his most trusted lieutenants Reyes has successfully defied the tas for tor several months He pas has ravaged ravaged ray ray- aged northern Durango and is believed believed believed be be- to have sev several ral hundred men Dlen in his Ids command with many smaller guerrilla bands operating in conjunction conjunction conjunction tion with him If Villa can effect a Junction with Reyes sufficiently In advance advance ad ad- vance of his pursuers to attempt a concentration of the bandits It Is expected expected ex ex- that he can muster 2000 men menat menat at least Both Mexicans and Americans who know Villa personally Jave ave little question ques ques- tim tion as to the he is II frying to pursue They Theat say that the fugitive bandit is not alarmed over any proposition proposition prop prop- o he may meet from hi own countrymen but that he lie is II devoting all his ener energies lt's to planning the discomfiture discomfiture dis dis- dis of the Am American rican forces whom he fears rears almost as much as he hates According to these observers Villa Is anxious to push as far tar south as he lie possibly can with the purpose of stretching out the already thin lines Jines of communication of the Americans to the breaking breaking- point With the comparatively com corn few men under the command command com corn mand of ot General Pershing a line lint of communication or mU mlles s long becomes a serious problem Torreon is 00 miles from Columbus as the crow flies nies but a far gi greater eater eater distance by y the winding trails that are the only roads across northern Chihuahua The free use of the Mexican railroads for the transportation of nf business men nien and supplies would of ot course upset Villas Villa's calculations and Immensely simplify General ral Pershing's problem Army officers here make no secret of the belief here that some arrangements arrangements arrange arrange- ments metaLs with the d de dd feto government for the use of the railroads will be become become become be- be come imperative if it proves true that Villa has outdistanced his Ills p pursuers In his flight south While Mexican bullets have not taken the life of a single soldier In the hae American expeditionary ry force and have only wounded four the Mexican l climate has been more inconsiderate erat In the neighborhood of 50 sick American troopers have been brought hack back from the front suffering from various ills due to the climatic conditions conditions condi condi- o ot the Sierra Madre Eighteen arrived yesterday To date two have died tiled Lieutenant Joseph W. W Allison and a private Jesse Tesse P. P Taylor both bothof of the Thirteenth cavalry The base hospital at Fort Bliss in normal times provides ample facilities I for the treatment of ot eighty ailing men Since the Mexico began Its resources have been over over- estimated An n entire barracks buildIng build build- ing log next door has been transformed into a hospital There Is an overflow in the hospital and three pavilions are crowded Soldiers who are unable to bear up under the strain of mountain campaigning campaigning cam cam- who suffer from fever and are brought back from the front in motor trucks to Columbus and sent to El Paso by I train Until re recently recently re- re they were taken from the station sta sta- tion here to Fort Bliss In trucks Recently Recently Re Re- Rei i however ambulances have been i provided I Most of the men inen en grow better rapidly rapidly- after atter their return Few cases are serious serious serious seri seri- ous and are one ones ones' that have yielded rapidly so far to expert medical treat treat- ment meat General George B Bell Jr commanding command command- ing log the Fort Bliss base conferred with Mexican Consul Andres Andrea Garcia today saying later that there had been no development In the situation regardIng regarding regarding regard- regard Ing the use of the Mexico Northwestern Northwest Northwest- em ern railroad for the shipment of supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies to the he American troops i Private James Tames T. T 1 of troop I K Thirteenth cavalry died at the Fort Bliss hospital today This is the third d death dath ath among the expeditionary forces COLUMBUS N. N M M. April 4 Army Army men here are satisfied despite rumors to the contrary that Francisco Villa has not been captured by Col George A. A Dodds Dodd's cavalrymen who for almost a a. week have been threading their way I through the Intricate mountain passes of th the Guerrero district in ill a relentless attempt to discover the whereabouts of I the bandit chieftain There Is no doubt it was asserted that should I American capture Villa who was lats reported fleeing uncertainly in a Mexican coach through the Bosque of I the Sierra Tarahumares an an aero scout would be sent immediately to tofield tofield tofield field headquarters at Colonia Dublan with dispatches containing the news While General Pershing i is using the aeroplanes to carry dispatches as little as possible because of ot his fears for tor their safety in the high altitudes of pf the Sierras he would make every ery effort to expedite the news of so so Im Important Important important Im- Im I a development in the campaign campaign cam cam- ranking otti officer er here said today Latest reports from the time front Indicated indicated indi Indi- that every p pass ss In the mountains every canyon and every means of es escape escape escape es- es cape over the rocky slopes was being guarded by the khaki clad cavalrymen assisted by a detachment of mountain infantry especially fitted for the work worle KS liS a a. result of ot observations of field service of the Alpine troops of the EuI European European Eu Eu- belligerents It was said tHat the pursuit was progressing under I more favorable weather conditions the high winds which for some days swirled snow and rain in the faces of the troops having abated and been I replaced by a warm April sun Whether Villa VUla can for long make good his escape under the conditions Isa is isa isa I a matter of much speculation but army men here to believe that at least he he has an even chance to evade his immediate pursuers I As the army motor trucks penetrate further into the Interior of Mexico they are objects of increased wonder to the natives natives- most of whom whom- have never neverseen seen spen a gasoline propelled vehicle returning today from along the American line of communication reported repotted that in the streets in Namiquipa Nami- Nami quipa Las Cruces El Valle and s some me of the smaller towns along the route people stood and watched In amuse amuse- men as the huge trucks were hauled through the dust It was some time It It was said before some of the more mor Ignorant natives could be induced tc to to- approach the machine and examine I them at close range speculation being expressed as to whether they were possessed of some supernatural ence |