The Washington times., 1911-04-16

The Mexican situation today has
reached a point where danger OF Amer
lean Intervention is extreme, At any
minute II may become necessary for
President Taft to give orders for the
army to cross the Rio Grande. and that
such Intervention would certainly result
in the annexation of Mexico is the be-
lief freely expressed at the Capital.
President Taft, harried by a stream OF
reports emphasizing the gravity Of the
situation In Mexico itself and along the
border, is greatly concerned and wor-
ried. He does not want to take the re-
sponsibility of ordering American troops
to cross the border, but understands
that at any time this may become i'm
perative.
Once American troops cross into Mex
leo, there is no question what will hap
pen. The federals and insurgents will
rally to. repel the invaders from the
North. 1t will be no child's play for
the American troops to restore order.
There will be fierce and prolonged fight
ing and heavy loss of life. In the up
heaval thousands of American citizens
in Mexico will probably be shot down
in cold blood, such is the hatred Of the
Mexicans for the "Gringoes."
Fighting At Juarez Reported.
Developments in the Mexican situa-
ton have moved with unexampled ra-
pidity in the last forty-eight hours.
Today, the dispatches say that fighting
is in progress in the region of Juarez
and also in the vicinity of Aqua Prieta
Indications are that the main. body Of
the insurgents under Madero are begin
ming their long-planned effort to capture
Juarez. General Navarro, the Mexican
commander there, has disposed his
forces for defense against a general
attack.
Stung by the moral effect of the loss
of Aqua Prieta, the federal forces are
endeavoring to recapture it.
The fighting about Juarez and Aqua
Prieta is fraught with all manner of
grave possibilities. In the first place. in
view of the warning given by President
Taft to the federals and the insurgents
that there must be no more fighting on
the border which will imperil the lives
of American citizens on this side, there
Is serious danger that a big battle at
Juarez or Aqua Prieta will lead to the
killing of more Americans on United
States territory.
President Taft. in event of a repetition
of the Douglas incident, would probably
feel impelled 20 order General Carter to
set his troops in motion southwark. At
the least, II would present a situation
full Of the most menacing possibilities.
Shows Presidents Fears.
How grave the President regards the
situation is apparent from the sudden
orders to the Sixth Cavalry, stationed
at Fort Des Moines. Iowa, to head for
Arizona This ordering of more troops
to the border is extremely significant.
1t served to emphasize the warning
which President Taft had issued to the
Diaz government and the Maderist
One squadron was ordered to hasten
to Douglas Ariz., another to Huachuca,
forty miles north of Douglas, and
Douglas. Pending the arrival Of the
Sixth at these points, four troops of
cavalry have been ordered to re-enforce
the single troop at Fort Douglas.
the purpose of maintaining the strictest
neutrality along the border. They are
expected to prevent a repetition of the
killing and wounding of Americans at
Douglas from stray Mexican bullets.
This would prove no easy task in case
Of hard fighting about Aqua Prieta-
1t is extremely interesting in this
that the War Department,
when. on March Z, it hastily ordered
J, 900 troops to mobilize on the Mexican
border, gave it out in the most pro-
bounced fashion that no more troops
would be added to these.
Quick Change of Front.
1t is known that the Sixth Cavalry
was extremely impatient to go to the