The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-26
Young Men of the Capital City Form
ing Companies with the Purpose
of Joining the Army.
NO DECLARATION YET MADE
GUATENALA's ANSWER TO BE CON-
sIDERED BY THE CABINET TO-DAY.
Secretary Gresham Reported to Have
offered His Services ms Mediator
Minister Gray at Washington.

CITY OF MEXICO. Jan. 25.-The War
Department here is working it's clerks and
ell employees over hours in the preparation
for war The government factories are run
ming day and night turning out cartridges
and other munitions. The young men of the
city are forming into companies to join the
regular army and everything looks ike
trouble Minister De Leon has nothing to
say tonight, though it is rumored that he
has been telegraphed instructions to do all
in his power to prevent Mexico declaring
war. 1t Is possible that diplomacy may yet
intervene IN time to save trouble between
Guatemala and Mexico. The Salvadoran
minister to-day is inclined to steer clear
from all ENHANCEMENT in the Mexican
Guartemalaen question and stated tonight
that he would assume neutral grounds in
case of war.
The official comnlunica ton of Guatemala
to the demands of Mexico over the bound
airy dispute was delivered at the national
palace this morning. 1t came in on the
Vera Cruz railway mail train last night.
having been forwarded from Coatzacoalcos
by a boat in waiting. Foreign Secretary
Mariscal was engaged to-day in making a
careful reading of the reply, which is
very voluminous and covers many pages of
closely written matter. Its contents have
not as yet been made known even to the
President and members o. the Cabinet.
The document will be presented at the
meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow. 1t is
generally understood that the import of
Guatemala's reply is the same as indi-
Gated in the telegram received from
Mexican Minister Godoy at the
time it was delivered to him
by the Guatemalan government. It's tone
is evasive and negative and the foreign de-
partment said that the declaration of Mexi-
cos position may be expected inside of four
or five days, by which time the reply of
Guatemala will have been considered in all
it's bearings. While not showing any heat
over the reply of Guatemala, the Mexican
authorities hold firm as ever to their posi-
ton and it is very generally understood
that early next week ultimatum will be
sent to Guatemala by the corvette cara
gosa which will at once declare war on the
republic unless it accepts the demands of
Mexico in every particular. In any event
the Zaragosa it is expected will bear note
to Minister Godoy instructing him to re-
quest his passports from Guatemala Should
Its answer be negative, he will be protected
and landed on Mexican soil by the corvette
which will then be detailed for the trans
portation of troops and munition of war.
PREPARATIONS FOR WAR
The War Department in TINS capital is all
activity. The entire office forces are work
ing over hours and an unusual spirit of life
and general animation is seen every
hand. The number of troops already on
the frontier is 1900 and several brigades
are in readiness to be pushed to the front
at days notice. Throughout the republic
the same activities are noted and there is
no doubt that Mexico could put $4,000 men
the Guatemalan frontier within a week
or ten days if occasion demanded. The gen.
eral health and equipment of the Mexican
troops now In the South are very good,
and reports from the probable seat of war
soldiers officers
high spirits and anxious to push forward
at the command from headquarters.
Considerable feeling is manifested in this
city over the visit to the national arms
factory of member of the Guatemalan
legation in company with the Italian min
ister The parties appeared at the factory
without previously announcing their in
tention. Being without instrac' ons the
commander of the factory telephoned to
headquarters for information. The reply
was that, under existing circumstances. it
would be inconvenient for the diplomates
mander profuse in his apologies, the
visitors had to go away as ignorant as
they came in regard to the operations of
Mexico's gun-making establishment and the
figure it might cut in the near future.
Trial practice has been given the range
cannon. as reformed by Seniors Mondragon
and Perse, two officers of the Mexican
army. The improvements are notable and
materially affect the rapidity,, accuracy
and general effectiveness of the cannon
now in use In the army.
That the situation has been regarded as
CRITICAL IS eVluenceQ Dy the TACT IndL III the
Mexican arsenal at the citadel here there
are now being manufactured weekly from
10000 to. :, $1,000 Remington cartridges, by
orders from the war department. They are
also engaged night and day on other work,
in order that all the artillery shall be ready
at moments notice with full supply of
all kinds of ammunition
GRESHAPS DISPATCH.
The United States has undertaken to play
peacemaker between Mexico and Guatemala
to prevent war if possible. A telegram has
been received here from Secretary Gresham
expressing the hope that Guatemala and
Mexico would agree between themselves
upon some method of settling the dispute
over the boundary, but that if this should
not be possible the United States trusted the
two countries would agree to submit their
differences to the arbitration of some friend
ly nation. This communication from
ton with which Mexico enjoys such inti-
mate relations has caused a profound i'm
preston on the government, and undoubt-
eddy accounts in part at least for the de-
cision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
withhold for five or six days al least the ul
timatum which 1t was about to dispatch in
much less time in. answer TO the note from
Guatemala received to-day. 1t is learned the
President of the United States made sure
his appeal would be received in good spirit
before sending it by first communicating in
an unoffica manner with Minister Romero
at Washington.
A dispatch from Salina Cruz says: 1t is
reported here that arrangements being
quietly made by the Mexican war authori-
ties for the Guatemalan invasion soon
as hostilities declared. The theory is
that the armed corvette lara gosa, the gum
boat Oaxaca and all the Mexican boats
on the Pacific coast will be employed in
landing troops at San Jose, Guatemala, or
at some other convenient place. 1mmedi-
ately on landing the forces will be pushed
with all possible speed across the country
toward the capital, which lies only about
fifty miles from the coast and where it is
naturally expected the hard fighting will
occur. At the same time the famed Next
can rural forces will be ready to start
from the various points on the border now
occupied by Mexican troops and cavalry,
and will sweep through the country like a.
whirlwind. The rurals will aim to clear up
things as they so and be hand and
ready to cooperate with the sea forces by
the time they have arrived before tho city
of Guatemala. The artillery and other
heavy guns will be shipped by sea, and as
the Guatemalans Will probably do all in
their power TO prevent a landing of the
Mexican forces, il is evident that the artil-
lery mounted on the Mexican ships and
that designed for besieging service will be
Immediately brought into play. In this
event as there are several good landing
places along the Guatemalan coast, there
will be no difficulty in eluding the enemy
should opposition be made at the regular
harbor. The Guatemalan forces are alto
gether too small tc put up "a good fight
at more than one or two points, and so
Mexico will have probably little trouble in
LII.