Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1916 — MEXICAN INVASION SUDDENLY HALTED [ARTICLE]

MEXICAN INVASION SUDDENLY HALTED

Realized That Trotops Can Not Be Taken From Border Until Others ~ ■... Take Their Place. Newspaper dispatches several days ago indicated that the punitiveinvasion of Mexico to capture and punish Pancha Villa, the bandit leader who murdered civilians and soldiers at Columbus, N. M., last Thursday had actually begun, but up to Monday night no troops had crossed the Mexican border except the little dash that was made immediately after the Villa outrages had been committed. There were several things to be done before the invasion could start. Th emost important was to secure the consent of Carranza, the de facto head of the Mexican government, and he declined to consent until the United States made a reciprocal agreement granting Xuexican soldiers the right to enter the United States to pursue American bandits who might commit outrages in Mexico. While such a condition was not probably and indicated simply the desire of Carranza to parley matters, it was granted, but still General Funston was unable to send troops in pursuit of Villa. By tha ttime it was quite certain that Villa was in hiding a hundred or .more miles from the border and that would require a considerable expeditionary force to pursue him and involve the establishment of a line of communications to the rear to prevent the force being entirely cut off. It also meant that teh troops could-'liot be moved into Mexico until troops were taken to the border to do patrol duty. In the meantime Carrafrza soldiers are being assembled on the. Mexican side of the international border and their actions showed their hatred of Americans and there was fear of an uprising against the American soldiers if they crossed the border. Preparations have gone ahead to rush troops to the border and the few remaining at the forts in have been ordered sent there or held in readiness for moving . While the newspapers have talked much about the use of state troops and there has been considerable activity on the part of the adjutantsgeneral of the various states, there have been no instructions sept out from Washington that would indicate that the troops would be mobilized. The general impression prevails, if the editorial conduct of the metropolitan newspapers is a guide, that invasion ur possibly - intervention will be necessary in the settlement of the Mexican affair. The Chicago Tribune openly declares for intervention, holding it to be the hope of Mexico and necessary for the security of the United States. It is ardently in favor of training troops f° r national de sense and advocates the call of volunteers or for the recruiting of the militia at once on a war strength basis, ‘ ■ ~~ Military law requires that the militia be called before volunteers are used and if the guard is called it is quite certain that it will figure extensively in the Mexican campaign. * Provision for the assembly of the national guard is made in U. S. army regulations. , The companies would assemble at the company rendezvous, where the recruiting would be carried on and companies brought up to the war strength of 150 enlisted men and 3 officers. The companies would then be mobilized at various points, the Indiana militia being sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison, the mobilization camp. The next movement would be to the concentration camps in the south. Young mets should at once seek: enlistment in the national guard companies and secure as much early training as possible.