Newspaper Page Text
THOniLE
Bor IN MEXICO
DAVID PORTER FIRST TO KX
LIST IX XAVV AX'D MIL WILI
MITCHELL IS ABOARD LOUIS-
TAX A, BOl'XD FOR VKRA CRUZ
Thomas* llle probably has the first
boy to enlist in the United States,
Navy as a result of the Mexican war j
scare. David Porter, the eixteen-
yearold son of Mrs. David Porter,
left the city two days ago for At
lanta, and went Immediately to the
recruiting office and enlisted ii. the
Navy. He was examined and ac
cepted and left today for Norfolk
to b« assigned to one of the war
ships now in that port.
Another Thomasville boy. Mr.
Will Mitchell is in the Navy, and is
aboard the battleship Louisiana,
which sailed from New York Friday
for Vera Cruz. This ship was one,
day behind those from Norfolk, and
is expected to arrive at the scene"
tomorrow.
Roy Thomas, also of Tho.rasvllle,
is aboard the New York, one of the
largest battleships in the world,
which is being rapidly prepared for
the first voyage which will be to
Mexico, with the Texas as a sister
ship.
News from the seat or war will be
especially interesting as both
these young men are well-known and
liked in Thomasville, where they
have lived since their birth, until
they enlisted in the Navy. Doth have
good positions on their ships.
United States intervenes In
Mexico to End Her Troubles
American Battleships Blockade Strategic Mexican
Ports-'Thousands of Troops Under Major
General Carter Ordered to Invade Disturbed
Country===Facts About Mexico’s Army
and Navy===Details of Inter
national Crisis.
T IIB United suites army has
available for service ns a mo
bile army in Mexico about 05,-
000 men of all anus. Tbit
does not include the 20,000 const artil
lery nor the soldiers now in the Phil
ippines. Hawaii or the cuuul zone.
This mobile army may be increased by
the field artillery drawing on the coast
artillery and veterans of other cam
paigns and by new recruits, raising the
strength to 80.000 without impairing
the efficiency.
The assembling of American war- 1
ships in Mexican waters was a mo- !
mentous event. Uncle Sam boasts of
thirty-eight battleships and fifteen ar
mored cruisers, not to mention many
less formidable fighting craft Plans
call for a blockade of Mexican ports l>y
every available warship of the United
States, so that not a steamship or boat
of any kind can laud a rifle or n enr-
b"ldge on its coast. On the oast coast
no trouble Is anticipated either from
the countries to the south or from Eu
rope. Europe has too much nt stake in
Mexico to render any assistance.
Militiamen to Guard Border.
From the time that a possible clash
with Mexico was figured on it was
plain that the United States need not
have any fear ns to the superiority of
Its navy. A single battleship can take
care of everything that flonts in either
ocean under the Mexican flag. It was
planned that across the 2,200 miles or
more *of border from Matamoras to
Rear Admirals and Types of American
, Warships Sent to the Mexican Waters.
I Yuma and along the gulf south of San !
Oiego there would be thrown a line of j
150.000 or more militiamen, border
guards, whose only duty would be the
defending of the American border i
towns, the prevention of smuggling |
and the protecting of the various bases, j
From the day he took office President
Wilson has been confronted with the
menace of the Mexican situation. It
was a legacy of the previous adminis
tration. and day after day it grew more
acute For months regular troops have
been stationed near the border line,
10.000 infantrymen at Texas City and
Galveston under the command of Ma
jor General William II. Carter. These
men are ns hard s\s nails and have
been itching for “something to start**
Within call were six transports lying
along the wharfs of Galveston ready
to take them out. Upon Brigadier
General Hugh L. Scott at El Paso, In
command of the border patrol, devolved
the responsibility of the first move.
General Scott has fought along the
border for years. His command moves
with the quickness of a fire company,
and ltf> knows exactly what to do.
In preparing for hostilities it was
figured that not more than a full day
would be required to see the 10,000 In
fantrymen and artillerymen—it full di- j
vision—at Texas City ou transports
which were waiting for them bound
for Vera Cruz, the first Important
strategic point toward Mexico City. It
was planned that the following day
would see every United States soldier
on the mainland on train, from Wash
ington on the western const and Ver
mont In the east, moving toward the
posts assigned to them. The plans
were made, the trains arranged for
and tested and the supplies provided
for. In the trouble with Cuba It re
quired only six hours to start It
was plain that It would take less time
to start for Mexico.
Cavalry on th# Frontier.
There were six regiments of cav
alry—about 3,500 men—guarding the
frontier from Brownsville, Tex., to San
Diego. Cal. The Second aud Third
cavalry were at El Paso, the Fifth and
Ninth in Arizona, the Thirteenth In
New Mexico and the Fourteenth from
opposite Nuevo Laredo to Marfa, Tex.
There were In addition companies of
field urtillery stationed at every point
near an important Mexican border
town. The infantrymen on border pa
trol belong to the central department
which has its headquarters at Chica
go, but General Scott and his men are
under the command of the southern
department the bead of which is Briga
dier Geueral Tasker U. Bliss, with
headquarters nt Fort Sam Houston.
San Antonio, where was stationed an
other large force of men.
It had been decided to have the Unit-
Photos 0 1913. by American Press Asso
ciation.
Photo of Lind 0 by Zimmerman.
1. HUERTA, PROVISIONAL PRESIDENT OP
UEXICO. 2. CARRANZA. LEADER OF CON
STITUTION ALI8.8. & GENERAL FELIX
DIAZ. 4. JUUN LIND, SPECIAL ENVOY OP
UNITED STATES T*» MEXICO. 5. NELSON
O’SHAUOHNESSV. AMERICAN CIIAROE
d'affaires at Mexico city.
plans. A tentative organization, which
could be stretched from a regiment to
a brigade, was laid out nnd at the
Urst call to arms Its recruiting offices
were to be opened for men able to
speak the Spanish lauguuge. with a
knowledge of the country and its peo
ple. to say nothing of an entire will
ingness and ability to fight. Similar
organizations have sprung up all ulong
the border, and they are most valu
able as scouts and guides.
Mexico’s Fighting Forces.
A recent compilation of the fighting
forces of Mexico showed that the mili
tary consisted of 7 generals of division
in active service. 45 generals of bri
gade, 58 brigadier generals. 753 com
manding officers. 2,355 other officers
and 20,038 privates. The army has
0,275 horses nnd 3.108 mules. In the
above the personnel of the navy, which
is small, 'la included It has been
shown that the United Stutes has noth-
ed States oitny. not the militia' aided ' ln « 10 tear ln 11 “«v«l wur - Tlie 111
by Irregular forces composed of men I fontry consists of thirty regiments, the
with special knowledge of the kind of ! name "regiment" being used exclusive-
fighting there, do the first heavy work 'J' for cavalry aud artillery corps; a
An important organisation ln this con- , ”K | “ len * of “PI"™ uml
neetlon 1. the First volunteer cavalry. I one •tattooed In the
! northern and the other in the southern
l district of Lower California, and an
auxiliary force stationed at Chilpnn
! familiar a* the rough riders. The
j rough riders have preserved a veter-
I an organization since 1808. Two years
| ago, when Its members, most of whom
1 five along the border, realized that
j some time the United Stutes would
; have to go over the line, they laid theli
FOREIGN PRESS IS FRIENDLY
cingo. state of Guerrero.
The cavalry consists of fourteen regi
ments and an irregular auxiliary corps
stationed at Cholula. state of Puebln.
There are two regiments of horse
urtillery, one regiment of light artil
lery. one regiment of mountain artil
lery mid n company of machine guns.
The army also has u well equipped ar
tillery park, a fixed battery at Vert
, , , «, Cruz nnd artillery sections at Acapul
P^ir.TnPhowTu.^S - Tampico. Th, do
taken by President Wilson in the | partment of war and marine nns
Mexican crisis. | charge of all military affairs. The
The Standard says President Wil- Becretar y ** war and marine Is the
son's action has the full acquiescence I representative iu the cabinet
of this government. I Military Administration.
Tne Times declares that 'the Jus-1 For purposes of military udministra-
tlftcution ior forcible interference” J tiou th ? republic Is divided Into ten
Is far t-ircnger than appears on the! military zone* aud three comrannder-
surface. I les. All are iu constant touch with the
The Dally Mail aesenoes the Brit- department of war aud murine. The
ish attitude toward President Wilson I ministry of R’ar and marine is divided
Photoe by American Press Association.
1^-Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher. 2.—Louisiana. 3.—Rear Admiral Clif
ford J. Bousch. 4.—'Virginia. 5.— Rear Admiral Walter C. Cowlee. 6/—
Annapolis.
jus “on* of admiration.**
! German Press Sarcastic.
I
Berlin. April 21.-—The German
; Pre-as a rule, .* pn-rin" in Its
comments rn *be Mexican crisis.
- The Post, However, closes a bitter
lAmeririn editorial, as follows*
. "Germany has no reason to desire
an American victory. The American
Colossus would thereby grow still
more gigantic and become more dan
gerous to us, economically, than It
already is."
Into nine bureaus or sections, each of
which has >i>eelal charge of a given
branch of military administration.
Those sections are special staff corps,
department of engineers, department
of artillery, department of the navy,
sanitary and hospital service, depart
ment of Infantry, department of cuv-
airy, mlllt-ry Justice, archives and II*
brary. niidiJug and administration.
The military commnnderles are es
tablished et the City of Mexico, Vera
Cruz and the port of Acapulco, ln the
•aut«» of flitorrom.
I
Mexico possesses the following es
tablishments for the manufacture of
war material, all of them subject to
the war department: General artillery
stores, artillery workshops, an arms
factory, an artillery foundry, a powder
factory, n cartridge factory and a na
tional arsenal. There has recently
been opened for operation also a facto
ry nnd laboratory for the manufacture
of smokeless powder, according to the
most approved methods.
A Fine Military Academy.
The educational establishments are
the Military academy at Chapultepec.
the Academy of Aspirnntes. a naval
academy at Vera Cruz, u college of
practical military surgery, a veterinary
college, a college of military bugle
calls and a school connected with the
artillery workshops. In addition there
are schools In nil the barracks for the
Instruction of the soldiers In the rudi
ments of general knowledge.
The Military academy nt Chapulte
pec ranks high among the establish
ments of Its kind throughout the
world. The course of its studies for
officers of Infantry, cavalry nnd tacti
cal artillery Is three years nnd for offl
cers of tlie staff corps, technical artil
lery and the corps of engineers seven
years.
Has Few Vessels In Navy.
Mexico has not burdened itself with
the heavy expense of a large modern
navy. The few vessels which she pos
sesses are destined for purposes of In
struction. coast guard service and
transport Those vessels are the trans
port and gunbont General Guerrero, re
cently built for the Mexico government
in England, the gunbonta Vera Cruz.
Bravo. Morelos. Democrats and Tam
pico: the transport Progreso and the
corvets Zaragosa nnd Yucatan, train
ing ships.
President Wilson gave careful con-1 the suggestion of placing more arms In
sldcmtion for some time to the other Mexico, strong arguments were brought
alternative to intervention—the lifting • to bear on him in favor of the plea
of the embargo against Importation of j 0 f the opponents of Huerta. The Con-
arms from the United States into Mex- stltutionnlists were ably represented
lco, thereby giving the Constitutional- | j n Washington nnd won to their cause
How Huerta Guarded National Palace;
Mexican Sharpshooters In Action.
Photo, by American Pres, Association.
lsts th, opportunity they sought, to dem
onstrato whether they could straighten
out Mexico's tangled affairs.
What deterred this government was
Its uncertainty ns to the ability of Gen
eral Venustinno Carranza nnd his Con
stitutionalist followers to establish a
many members of congress who bad
been led to hellevo thnt not until the
Constitutionalists had an opportunity
to show whnt they could do to elimi
nate Hnertn could the United Stutes
Justify armed Intervention.
. . , Meantime the army and navy were
^ t i Ul /°. TC ™ n,Cn i. ,1, ‘l t0 ! Ptoc«l l« a slate of preparedness for
m- “■* ' ’ any eventuality
Prior to Having for the border Dr.
Hale talked with some of the members
of the Insurgent Junto. Members of
tlie Junta maintained a strict reticence
In regard to Dr. Ilale's visit to them.
John Lind, the president's special
representative in Mexico, then hurried
maintain It. To determine this was
the purpose of the missions of Dr.
William Bayard Hale and Governor
Hunt of Arizona, who unofficially in
vestigated the claims of the Constitu
tionalists.
view* of the dilatory tactics ap
parently adopted by Huerta, the pres
ident hastened these reports from spe
cial Investlgntors. It was his evident
purpose to get all of his facts In hand ^
before he announced his policy either I n can’t Be Dona. •
to the foreign governments or to con-1 0nce | n a wh n e w8 1[t down
,n T" a „ „ ,, «l wonder If ever n toastmaster called
While President Wilson expressed on a man who got up and admitted
disapproval In his August message of that he was a speecb-naker—Detroit
Free Press.
United States Marines Boarding Transport
For Mexico; Generals Wood and Carter
Photo, by American Press Association.
1^-Marin«s boarding transport for Qalvoaton, To*. 2.—Major General Leon-
ard Wood, head of tho army. 3.—Major Gonaral W.Hiam H. Carter, ir
command of troopa which wore ready on bo rear.
to Mexico City from Vera Cruz to as-
•1st Nelson 0'Slir.ughnessy. the Amer
ican charge d'affaires in convincing
Huerta that there was no bluff about
the American government's position.
Mr. Lind arrived apparently withoutl
having given the embassy any notice
of his coming. He spent a day at the
embassy, as though In change there.*
Maintaining silence as to bis plans,
Mr. Lind would say only that he
"merely came up to look over the situ
ation from this end."
Poon Regarded Troublesome.
In the talk of u war with Mexico the
United States figured that the peons
would be troublesome. Indian and
half Indian, they huve been persuaded
that they will be worse enslaved than
they have been and they will surely
want to tight and will fight until they
learn something by experience. The
poor pay Mexico's tuxes today, and
the poor man is the peon. His wages
are scant and his living precarious,
big mine owner from the neighbor
hood of Parral. Chihuahua, prophesied
how this would work out:
“Wo had 4,000 meu at work, and all
nro out of Jobs, out of food and out of
homes now. Many have Joined one
side or the other and fight with their
brothers^ Those men will fight as best
they can at first but soon they will
learn that intervention means their
old Jobs back, means relief from taxes,
moans sure wages and freedom from
molestation. It will not take them
long to quit fighting and settle down to
peuco and comfort"
Carter a Veteran Fighter.
Major General Carter has distln-
gL\>hoil himself in the army by indi
vidual acts of bratery, and at the same
time he has contributed much by his
great technical knowledge of military
warfare .to the present martial condi
tion of the United States.
Both as a theoretical and practical
soldier General Carter has made bis
mark, and his great abilities as an or
ganizer and a field commander have
long been recognized. When he was
serving as first lieutenant regimental
quartermaster and acting adjutant of
the Sixth cavalry In the Apache cam
patgn of 1881 in Arizona he won the
medal of honor for saving a soldier’s
life in the encounter at Cibicu creek.
The man was badly wounded, and Car-
ter exposed himself to the heavy fire
of the enemy to save the man.
Physician Not Up to Data.
CaHer—'73o you have decided to gel
another physicianr Mrs. Neugold^*
"Indeed I have. The Idea of pre-
scribing flaxseed tea and mustard
plasters for people as rich as we art 1
—Judge.