The American expedition into Mexico to punish General Villa is
naturally being watched with great anxiety. :.Congress is under no illusions as to the risks of the undertaking. It has authorized the raising of another twenty thousand men. The mobile force would 'thus reach its paper strength of forty thousand. The Washington correspondent of the Times says that the War Depart. ment hopes that many retired soldiers will return to the colours, and that National Guards, by taking over police work on the border, may release about fifteen thousand regulars for Mexico. Meanwhile the American force under General Pershing has already .penetrated over a hundred miles into Mexico. Villa is believed to be about fifty miles further on. Rumour says that he massacres Americans as he retires. The co-operation of President Carranza with the American troops is still quite an uncertain quantity. We cannot exclude' the possibility that all the Mexican parties will make 'common cause against the invader, but we most sincerely hope that this disastrous complication will not happen.
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