The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-08

devoutly to be wished. The troops can
 then be returned to their posts. l un-
 derstood from you in Washington that
 General Aleshire said that you could
 probably meet all the additional ex-
 pense of this whole movement out of
 the present appropriations if the troops
 continue in Texas for three months.
 sincerely hope this is so. l observe
 from the newspapers that you have no
 blank cartridges. but l presume that
 this is an error or that it will be easy
 to procure those for use as soon as
 your naneuvers begin.
 ''Second.-Texas is a state ordinarily
 peaceful. but you cannot put 10000
 troops into it without running some
 risk of a collision between the people
 of the state and especially the Mexi-
 cans who live in Texas near the bor-
 der and who sympathize with the in
 surrectos and the federal soldiers. For
 that reason beg you to be as careful
 as you can to prevent friction of any
 kind.
 .'Third-One of the great troubles in the concentration of troops Is the dan- ger of disease. and I suppose that you have adopted the most modern meth eds for the preventing and if necessary for stamping out epidemics. That is so much a part of a campaign that it hardly seems necessary for me to call attention to 1t.
 Finally. wish you to examine the <1R &l, <cH fhn hnr dnvs and put as many troops on that work
 as is practicable and more than are
 now engaged in it in order to prevent
 the use of our borderland for the car rying on of the insurrection. 1 have given assurances to the Mexican am- bassador on this point"
 lam more than happy to here record the fact that all apprehensions as to
 the effect of the presence of so large a military force in Texas proved ground less. No d;Sturbances occurred The conduct of the troops was exemplary. and the public reception and treatment of them was all that could have been
 desired, and this notwithstanding the presence of large number of Mexican refugees in the border territory. From time to time communica tions were received from Ambassador Will son. who had returned to Mexico. con- | firming the view that the massing of American troops in the I1eighborhood had had good effect. By dispatch of April 3, 1911. the ambassador said: "The continuing gravity of the sit uation here and the chaos that would Ar~ al ffrV. ities be eventually overthrown. thus greatly increasing the danger to which American lives and property are ak ready subject, confirm the wisdom of the president in taking those military precautions which. making every al- lowance for the dignity and the sover- eighty of friendly state, are due to our nationals abroad.
 Charged as I am with the responsi- bility of safeguarding these lives and property. am bound to say to the de partment that our military disposi tions on the frontier have produced an effective impression on the Mexican mind and may at any moment prove to be the only guaranties for the safe tx of our nationals and their property. ! ICit should eventuate that conditions here require more active measures by 1 the president and congress sporadic | attacks might be made upon the lives and property of our nationals. but the | ultimate result would be order and adequate protection"
 The insurrection continued and re- I suited in engagements between the | regular Mexican troops and the insur
 gents, and this along the border, so
 that in several instances bullets from
 the contending forces struck American
 citizens engaged in their lawful occu l pations on American soil.
 Proper protests were made agains, | these invasions of American rights to the Mexican authorities. On April IT 1911. l received the following telegram from the governor of Arizona:
 "As result of today's fighting across l the international line. but within gun I shot range of the heart of Douglas, five
 Americans wounded on this side of the line. - = It is impossible to safeguard the people of Douglas un
 less the town be vacated. Can any
 thing be done to relieve situation. now 1 acuteY' 1 After a conference with the secretary of state the following telegram was sent to Governor Sloan on April IS
 1911. and made public:
 "Your dispatch received. Have made 1 urgent demand upon Mexican govern ment to issue instructions to prevent
 firing across border by Mexican fedora
 troops and am. awaiting reply. Mean time l have sent direct warning to the | Mexican and insurgent forces neal
 Douglas. Pending my urgent repre- | sentation to che Mexican government
 cannot therefore order the troops a, l Douglas to cross the border. but must
 ask you and the local authorities il
 case the same danger recurs to direc
 the people of Douglas to place them
 selves where bullets cannot reach then
 and thus avoid casualty. l am loatf 1 to endanger Americans in Mexico
 where they are necessarily exposed. by
 taking a radical step to prevent injury
 to Americans on our side of the border
 who can avoid it by temporary in
 convenience"
 am glad to say that no further in
 vasion of American rights of any sub
 stantial character occurred.
 The nraSnuce of large military