Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-03-30
10000 j. S. TROOPS
ORDERED TO TEXAS
PRESIDENT TAFT, TO QUIET CRIT
les. ORDERS 10000 TROOPS
TO MOBILIZE QUICKLY.
ARTILLERY, INFANTRY AND CAV.
AIRY TO CONCENTRATE ON
MEXICAN BORDER.
Maneuvers to Be on Gigantic Scale
Never Before Attempted; All
Branches Of Service Included.

In answer to charges that the Unit
ed States army is not prepared for
actual warfare, and that ii is lacking
in every essential that goes to make
up defensive force, the general
staff, by direction Of the president, has
ordered magnificent test OF the
whole machinery controlling the mo-
bile army on a scale greater than ever
before attempted in time of peace In
this country.
Reproducing as nearly as possible
war conditions involving hostilities in
advance of formal declaration OF
war, the president gave the word and
within few moments messages were
flying all over the country by wire or
dering the assemblage of 10000
troops in the department OF Texas
This is practically one-fourth OF the
entire United States army, including
those troops in the Philippines and
other insular possessions.
The navy is to play it's part, and
formidable feet of armored cruisers,
supplemented by auxiliaries neces-
sary for the successful maintenance
of hostile naval force on the coast
OF an enemy will take its place of the
Texas shore line.
The military force will establish its
headquarters at San Antoine under
command of Maj. Gen. William II. Car
ter. assistant chief of staff, assisted
by several brigadier-generals, who Will
command the brirades into which the
grand division will be divided. These
brigades will be placed at strategic
points throughout the department OF
Texas, including not only the Mexican
border towns. to which particular at
tention will be given. but also Calves
ton and the other seaports.
The situation which has resulted IN
the sudden movement of 10000 troops
toward the Mexican frontier and the
hurrying of 1000 marines and fve
warships to the gulf, is gradually I'M
folding itself. Officials OF the war
and navy departments still contend
that the mobilization of one quarter
of the entire regular army along the
Mexican line is for the purpose or
holding joint army and navy war
games, but the fact that ii is intended
chiefly as a military demonstration
for the protection of American and
other foreign properties in Mexico is
becoming more certain.
There is, however. another con-
sideration which influenced the presi-
dent and his advisers to order this i'm
pressive force to the Mexican from
tier. 1t was learned that Mexico about
two weeks ago formally protested to
the state department that the Amer
lean side of the dividing line was not
being properly patroled. The conten-
ton of the Mexican government was
that the revolutionists had been able
to use the American side as a base
of operations. The Mexican troops
were, of course. powerless TO invade
American territory.
This protest on the part of Mexico
has undoubtedly been considered in
connection with the desire of this
government to indicate its disposition
to insure the protection of foreign
the Diaz government failing to cope
with the situation.
At present the United States has
no intention of crossing the frontier
into Mexico. The purpose of send
ing the troops into Texas is merely
10 have them available in the event
OF a contingency endangering Amer
lean or other foreign interests in
Mexico. Also the mobilization is in.
tended to forestall any formal repre-.
sensations by European governments.
BY its activity the United States tao
lily notifies the European powers that
1t stands ready to protect foreign
property IL the Diaz administration
fails in its duty. This is undoubtedly
the Interpretation put upon the ac-
ton of the war and navy departments
by the representatives OF foreign gov.
ernments in Washington.