Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-03-09
ORDER TROOPS TO FRONTIER
Never So Extensive Mobilization of United
States Army and Navy in Time of Peace
Mystery Shrouds Affair

Washington, March THE most OK
tcnsive movement Of troops and var yes
sells ever executed III this country In
time OF peace Is now under way by or
der OF the President az commander-in-
chief Of the army and navy, the OBJ
jective being the country north of the
Mexican boundary and tho waters Of tho
two oceans at either end OF Il.
Twenty thousand soldiers, more than
one-fourth OF the army OF the United
States. Of all arms OF tho service. are
moving toward the Mexican border
four armorcd cruisers. comprising the
firth division OF the Atlantic fleet, have
been ordered from northern waters to
the naval station at Guantanamo Cuba /;
most OF the Pacific fleet is or shortly
Will be on its way to assemble at San
Pedro and San Diego, Cal. and ZOO
marines arc preparing to make the Guam
tanamo station their temporary head
quarters.
1t was Officially announce az the
White House and at the war and navy
departments to-day that the purpose
of this great mobilization, unprece-
denied save in war times Is the train
ing Of officers and men under service
conditions. and practice in co-opera-
ton between the land and naval
forces. Unusual pains were taken by
all Officially concerned in the matter
to give this ,olor to the sudden ac-
t!vity; but these statements were ac-
cepted with increasing reserve.
WOOD FLIES BY WINDOW.
There have been important joint
n n IN In
hut they have leen planned far in adj
vance and carried out without a rip
pie Of excitement, or even Of evidence
of interest at the White House To-
day the executive Offices were steeped
with mystery; the entire morning was
given over to conferences with Of
fcers of the war and navy depart
ments. This thick atmosphere Of
mystery and the jealous efforts to
minimize the Importance of the bust
ness lent a curious significance to the
fact that Gen. Leonard Wood, chief
of-staf Of the army. in an effort to
clude interviewers slipped out one OF
the rear windows of the Presidents
Office and beat mastery retreat
through the secluded portions Of the
White House grounds to rear en-
trance of the war department.
The real significance of these activities,
which have been confined apparently to
the last H hours or less. Is thought to re-
late very directly to the conditions in Mex
leo and to the growing belief that the sit
uation there is by no mean. so satisfac-
tory as the Mexican government would
have it believed. There are persistent re-
PORTS that the physical condition OF Presi-
dent Diaz has lately become such as TO
alarm his adherents. and that momentous
developments are to he prepared for
one report which was current here to-
day was that the Pearson syndicate, hoav-
lily interested In enterprises in northern
Mexico, had appealed to tho British gov
ernment Tor adequate protection Of them
selves and other foreign interest in prep-
aration for the chaotic conditions which
would almost certainly follow any serious
loss OF prestige, to say nothing Of the col
lapse of the Diaz government. II was
said that the British ambassador lad
taken up tho question with the state de
rartment here with a suggestion that un- /
less the United States took Immediate
steps to exhibit its disposition and ability /
to protect foreign Interests in Mexico. tho
governments, more particularly /
Great Britain and Germany. would be
compelled to do So