The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-07
troops and their officers to great ad-

l
vantage.
THE assumption by the press that
! contemplate Intervention on Mex
lean soil to protect American lives or
! property is of course gratuitous. be-
! cause 1 seriously doubt whether I
have such authority under any cir
cumStances, and if had I would not
exercise 1t without express congress
sional approval. Indeed, as you know,
I have already declined without Mex
lean consent, to order a troop of cav
airy to protect the breakWater we are
constructing Just across the border in
Mexico at the mouth of the Colorado
river to save the Imperial valley, al
though the inSurrectos had scattered
the Mexican troops and were taking
our horses and supplies and frighten-
ing our workmen away. My deter
mined purpose, however, is to be in a
position so that when danger to
American lives and property in Mex
leo threatens and the existing gov
eminent is rendered helpless by the
insurrection, I can promptly execute
, congressional orders to protect them,
with effect
Meantime. I send you this letter,
through the secretary, to call your at
tention to some things in connection
with the presence of the division in
the southwest which have doubtless
| occurred to you, but which I wish to
emphasize.
First Glass Training.
I'm the first place, I want to make
for the army, and 1 wish you would
give your time and that of the war
college to advising and carrying out
maneuvers of useful character, and
plan to continue to do this during the
next three months. BY that time we
may expect that either Ambassador
Wilson's fears will have been realized
and chaos and its consequences have
ensued, or that the present govern
ment of Mexico will have so read
Justed matters as to secure tranquil
lity-a result devoutly to be wished.
The troops can then be returned to
their posts. 1 understood from you in
Washington that General Aleshire
said that you could probably meet all
the additional expense of this whole
movement out of the present appro-
priatiOns if the troops continue in
Texas for three months. I sincerely
hope this is so. I observe from the
cartridges, but I presume that this is
an error, or that it will be easy to
procure those for use as soon as your
maneuvers begin.
"Second-Texas is state ordinarily
peaceful, but you can not put 10000
troops into it without running some
risk of a collision between the people
of the state. and especially the Mex
leans who live in Texas near the Dor
der and who sympathize with the in
surrectos, and the federal soldiers.
For that reason I beg you to be as
careful as you can to prevent friction
with the army of pacification there of
something more than 5000 troops. to
maintain them for a year without any
trouble. and I hope you can do the /
same thing In Texas Please give |
your attention to this, and advise all /
the officers in command of the neces- J
sitv for very great circumspection in =
this regard.
-'Third-One of the great troubles in I
the concentration of troops is the dan /
ser of disease, and I suppose that you
have adopted the most modern meth |
DDS for the preventing and if neces-
sary, for stamping out epidemics. That
is so much a part of a cam ign that I
il hardly seems necessary for me to
call attention to it,
Finally, I wish you to examine the
question of the patrol of the border
and put as many troops on that work
as is practical, and more than are now
engaged in it, in order to prevent the
use of our bOrderland for the carrying
on of the insurrection. I have given
assurances to the Mexican ambassador
on this point.
Il sincerely hope that this expert
ence will always be remembered by
the army and navy as a useful means
of education, and I should be greatly
if it resulted in any in
jury or disaster to our forces from any
cause 1 have taken a good deal of
responsibility in ordering this mobili-
cation, but I am ready to answer it if
most care to avoid the difficulties
which I have pointed out.
You may have copy of this letter
made and left with General Carter and
such other generals in command as
you may think wise and necessary to
guide them in their course, but to be
regarded as confidential"
No Disturbance Occurred.
am more than happy to here re-
cord the fact that all apprehensions as
to the effect of the presence of SO large
a military force in Texas proved
groUndless; no disturbances occurred;
the conduct of the troops was exemp-
larry and the public reception and
treatment of them was all that could
have been desired, and this notwith-
the presence of a large num-
Der of Mexican refugees in the border
territory.
From time to time communications
were received from Ambassador Will
son, who had returned to Mexico, con-
frming the view that the massing of .
American troops in the neighborhood .
had had good effect. By dispatch of /
April g. 1911. the ambassador said:
The continuing gravity of the stu
alton here and the chaos that would 2
ensue should the constitutional author
tiles be eventually overthrown, thus .
greatly Increasing the danger to which /
American lives and property are already .
subject, confirm the wisdom of the
president iE taking those military pre- /
cautions which, making every allow
ance for the dignity and the sovereign /
ty of a friendly state, are due to our
nationals abroad.
Charged as I am with the respon-
sibilitv of safeguarding these lives and
property. 1 am bound to say to the
department that our military DISPOSE
lions on the frontier have produced an
effective impression on the Mexican
mind and may. at any moment, prove
TO be the only guarantees for the safe
ty of our nationals and their proper
ty If it should eVentuate that con-