Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-07
The Fighting Power Of Mexico and
the United States.

were once we'll started, but somebody else nigh
| Germany would like very well indeed to get 6
good foot hold in this part OF the world. Bis
faiIre u , mas ms eyG open ros 'ns
| the Nicaragua canal, aud in such an event he
| doesn't want TO be too far away. He wouldn
| care to lay violent hands on Cuba or on any o.
the British possessions, but it is doubtful in my
MIND II he wouldn't jump at the chance to secure
his object by lending a helping hand to Mexico
In the event of q war with US. don't predict 1t
put am only telling you what's on the cards
! II Germany should make such a move, France
who has recently declared herself to be in fight
| 10 regain Alsace and Lorraine Then Other
| powers might step in. England would prob
! nish ships, as we know from experience, and
| she holds most of the Mexican bonds. Mexico
| has no navy to speak of: She is worse off than
| we are In that respect, but the loan Of couple
| GERMAN IRoN-CLADs
might play the mischief on our coast. These
vessels might be equipped and even manned
| by others than Mexicans. right to hoist the
| Mexican colors, with Mexican officers nomi
nally in command for show, and the iron-clads
| would be ready for service. The defenseless
condition of our sea coast has not been ex
aggerated. We would be at the mercy of such
an attack. An fron-clad vessel could approach
! or blow 1t to pieces Our best guns can only
penetrate ten inches, and we have no proper
carriages to enable them to do that. An eleven
cities on the coast and we couldn't help it, The
| only thing we could do would be to sink vessels
in the channels and endeavor to prevent the
| approach OF the enemy. That would only be a
temporary check. In these days of dynamite
| the distractions could be blown up before our
eyes, and we wouldn't have the means to pre-
vent its being done. We are in a fine condition,
truly, to resist an invasion! Had Congress di.
recte0 the President 10 demand the release OF
without doing any thing to enable us to with
stand the consequences of enforcing this de-
mand. The House refused to appropriate even
5000 200 for seacoast defenses, when the for,
tfications board reported that over $21 900, 600
should be expended the first year,
HOW OUR COAST rs GUARDED.
"Just look minute at this map" continued
the officer, pointing to map of the United
States. "From Fortress Monroe, along the
coasts Of North and South Carolina Georgia,
Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, two COM
panies of artillery are the only protection that
is afforded, while from Fortress Monroe to the
Mexican frontier at the mouth of the Rio
Grande, there are stationed four companies OF
There is a fort at Key West, but there are no
troops to garrison it. On the Pacific side there
is but one company OF infantry to guard the
coast from Mexico to San Francisco.
AT the close of the Mexican war we ranked
the world in light artillery, stood we'll in heavy
artillery, and mad navy equal to that of any
other nation OF our relative standing. To-day
we are simply experimenting with heavy ar
tilery, and our navy is ranked by all countries,
cACcpGd lew lIItlc ones III south AlueElcd. NICK.
leo is stronger now than she was at the close OF
that war, but have no idea that she could
withstand the United States without assistance,
but she would fight better than is generally
supposed
THE MEXICAN NAVY.
The reporter here produced the following list
OF vessels belonging to the Mexican navy,
which he had obtained from the bureau of naval
intelligence: Two iron gun-boats, the Mexico
and the DemOcratica, each OF $50 tons, two
twenty FOUNDERS, six officers and eighty men,
eleven knots speed and 600 horse power; two
800 ton vessels, the Libertad and the Indepen-
dencia, each armed with two twenty FOUNDERS
and manned by six officers and eighty men,
and one other small gun-boat, the name OF
Eyes that constitutes the Mexican navy"
said the army officer looking over the list.
''One OF those vessels was lying at San Fran
cisco ior several years. She was out OF repair,
but the Mexican credit was SO bad that no one
would do any work on her. She was originally
the yacht of an English gentleman. The
owner brought her over and sold her to the
Mexican government, and she was changed
INTO gunboat. We would have no difficulty
afraid there would be some ironclads secured
from some place."
THE SOLDIERS OF MEXICO.
"How about the strength OF Mexico on land?''
asked The STAR reporter.
II don't know definitely; but have seen it
stated that MexicO'S army consists of 22,5OO
men of all arms, just about the size OF our
army. Some OF the soldiers are very fine,
while others are the worst ever saw. In the
western part of Mexico there are some admra-
bly, drilled and equipped soldiers, but in the
region OF Chihuahua the troops are composed
tne scum OF ae earth the They are mostly
in the prisons or joining the army. These
troops are marched III open column, with the
officers in the center so that they can watch
the soldiers on either side and check any at
tempt at desertiOn, which they know from ex-
perlence will be made ii the slightest oppor-
tunity is afforded. Mexico has really a line
body of men in what is known as the Rural
guard, about 5000 strong, forming very
good nucleus for an army
OUR AVAILABLE TROOPS.
"What troops would we have available in
the event of war" asked THE STAR.
"Of course the war would probably be car.
ried on mainly by state militia, and perhaps,
II 1t assumed serious proportions, by volunteers
but don't believe it would be possible AT the
start to oppose the enemy with more than ten
thousand regular troops. This force would
have to prevent the MeXicans from inyadin U
our country until the state militia could be
regularly sworn In for government service and
ordered to the front by the President. You
know the militia organizations cannot be
called into service outside their respective
states until after "a formal declaration OF war.
wv hat regular troops could be sent to the
Mexican bOrder?'' asked the reporter.
About half OF the army Is regularly en-
ployed ON the frontier a guard to the In
dams, and it would be manifestIy inadvisable
TO withdraw these troops, tor the Indians would
overrun the country. OF course company
could be Withdrawn here and there, leaving a
sufficient garrison at the posts, but most of the
troops would come from Kansas and Nebraska
The entire garrisons at Fort Omaha Fort iea w.
enworth, Fort Hayes and Fort Riley could he
sent to the front without any danger, and the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad being
very accessible, they could be shipped direct to
the border in fOrty-eight hours These troops,
together with companies picked up here and
there, where they could be spared, would, I
think, number about
TEN THOUSAND MEN.
Still the number would not be so large if all the
companies were like one saw start out from
Fort Leavenworth to put down q threatened
outbreak or the Indians. 1t consisted OF lust
nineteen men, with lame lieutenant in COM
mand. Most of these refer to would show up
u little better than that though. war be-
tween the United States and Mexico alone
would probably be over in q comparatively
short time, for Mexico is no match for US. She
couldn't raise such an army as we could, and
she has no credit. AS said, though, there is
the danger of assistance being rendered to
Mexico, and then there is no telling where the
trouble would end"
Neutrality-suspicious. at Rock Enon.
Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR
Rock ENoN SPRINGS, VA, August 4.
Saturday morning last party of twenty-five
| started from Washington for this place via the
Il ~ n