The Days of a Man 1916 



the river, and then reported at Juarez that " El Paso 

 was giving Mexicans a bath in burning oil." 



The citizens of Juarez were already "chronically 

 sore" over "indignities suffered at the International 

 Bridge," whence they had been frequently "kicked 

 and cuffed back into Mexico by the El Paso police." 

 Such treatment, they declared, "was enough to 

 anger any people on earth." The news of the "holo- 

 caust" naturally spread like wildfire, and Villa is 

 threat. reported as saying that "he would make a torch out 

 of every American he could catch." 



He also sent word to American papers in El Paso 

 that he would raid Columbus on March 9. The motive 

 for this curious action is not clear, unless he possibly 

 hoped to bring about either mediation or monetary 

 compensation. On the other hand, the alleged atti- 

 tude of the local commandant at Columbus is hard 

 to explain, for it is reported that upon hearing of the 

 threat he deprived his men of their cartridges. 

 Doubtless he thus thought to prevent bloodshed, 

 though in this he was not successful. 



After the American troops had gone about 400 

 miles into Mexico, Mexican officials, as will be 

 remembered, forbade further advance, a limitation 

 hardly to be accepted by Pershing without instruc- 

 tions from our government. But in a large way he 

 was careful to avoid needless conflict with the de facto 

 authorities. Notwithstanding his precautions, how- 

 ever, several encounters took place, the principal one 

 at Carrizal, where an American company proceeding 

 under orders found the way blocked by a detachment 

 of Mexicans. El Paso papers described this incident 

 as "a treacherous ambuscade," a view generally 

 accepted in the North. 



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