The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-09
On Guard on the Rio Grande.

ST. Louis Giobe-Democrat:s Enough
mystery is back of that movement OF
troops TO the Rio Grande to MAKE il
decidedly interesting. Troops are or
dered there from posts as remote from
each other as New York and San
Francisco, and Fort Smelling, in Min
ncsota and Fort Mcpherson, in Geor-
gia According TO the outgivings at
Washington, 10000 troops will be
close to the Mexican frontier by Fri
day. The fact that there are only S.
900 soldiers on the mainland of the
United States will show how the wide
ly separated military posts are being
drawn on for this movement. In the
United States and all its dependencies
there are only 1000 men under arms,
including the 5000 Philippine scouts,
who are doing duty in the archipeia-
go. There are 1900 troops of the
regular army in the Philippines. I'm
der present laws the maximum per-
Missile strength of the army is
about 10000, but the number actual
1y with the colors is $4,000 under
that mark And more than fourth
of that number is headed for the Mexi-
can border.
The semi-official explanation from
WASHINGTON is that this big demon
stration is for tactical purposes
merely. The troops are going to the
Rio Grande for "maneuvers. And a
large part of the navy in Atlantic wa
tiers and in the Gulf of Mexico is
about to concentrate at Galveston
and its immediate neighborhood. The
Washington explanation of this mob
ilization sounds like tale for the
marines. Other reports, however, from
j the same center may give some light
) on the real reason for the mobiliza-
ton. One of these is that Diaz, who
is so years of age, is In poor health,
and there is fear that If he should
die or abdicate risings would take
place all over Mexico. against which
1 his successor could make no Roadway.
Another is that the situation in Chi
I is worse than the Mexican authorities
pretend, or than our government
realized week ago when it said that
DO more troops would be sent to Tex
as. Still another report is that the
British ambassador at Washington has
asked the State Department what our
intentions are as regards possible In
teryeDtion, saying that If we should
fail to step in to protect the property
of foreigners, England might be com
PEELED TO act in defense Of her own
citizens.
Possibly the last-named story ac-
counts for the sudden change in atti-
tude by our authorities. II the object
vas merely TO train the officers and
soldiers in the drilling and maneuver-
ing of large bodies of troops it would
seem that there are points more cen
tral than Texas at which the moboli-
cation could take place. But an init
nation by the British government that
II might be compelled to act in pro-
tecting its subjects If we failed 10
step in would be an adequate explana
ton of this hurried conveyance OF
troops IN e1ds, EDxfdbu mas SUBJECTS
and cash distributed all over the
globe. and she is in the habit o:
guarding both. Like all the rest OF this
world, England must be surprised al
the failure of Diaz to suppress the in
snrrection. Scattered bands OF guer
riIlas which can hardly number mora
thar 1900 or 1900 in the aggregate
have been working their will in Z
large part of Chihuahua for severa'
month. Less than 1000 of Daz'l
troops have been brought agains
them. and they have thus far been I'm
able 10 restore order. Although M
gestige OF leadership or organizatio;
/, scan be traced in any Of the demon
strations made By the insurrectos