Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-05-11
Intervention NO
HOLIDAY FROuC
Ninety Per Cent Of MexIcans
Against Us.
WOULD NEED 100000 MEN
II Would Mean the Greatest Array Of
Armed Men This Country Has
Known Since Civil VI.
War.


tie raging at Jaurez on the American
border In defiance of a repeated
American protest; with insurrectos ad-
vancing under different and indie
pendent leadership upon the city Of
Mexico; with Americans and for
eigners fleeing the distracted republic
on every train and with thousands Of
millions of American and foreign cap
ital In peril 1t Is time to realize that
the American government. through ita
president and its congress. must
gather itself together In readiness for
prompt, wise and vigorous action.
It is also time for the president and
congress to know all the facts and to
know in detail that armed interven-
ton in Mexico Is not to be q holiday
frolic.
This 10 the situation in brief in
Mexico:
Ninety per cent of the people are
accurately estimated to be In rebel.
lion against the Diaz government.
Careful observers estimate that this
80 per cent also represents the ele-
ment that is antagonistic to the
United States. The opposition to the
Diaz government, in addition to Its
political protest against long lease
Of power, is based upon various con.
cessions of property and mines that
the Diaz government has made to
Americans and other foreigners.
1t may be set down as definitely
true that the vast percentage Of the
people Of Mexico are just as antago-
nistic to the United States as they are
to the Diaz regime.
It Is believed in army circles that
II the United States should intervene
in Mexico and send an army across
the border, 1t would have the same
effect as an outside interference with
q man who was beating his wife.
Both would turn upon the intruder.
And SO these experts have no doubt
that the first shot fired by our coun-
try in Intervention or invasion would
unite the entire 80 per cent OF the
insurrectos Jointly antagonistic to
Diaz and the Americans with the gov
eminent and with tne federal troops
in a solid army of defense against our
intrusion.
Here, then to begin with, would be
an army Of $4,000 federal troops and
$4,000 insurrectos, Making over 49,
900 Mexicans already in the field, with
which our army Of Intervention or In
vasion must compete.
Army exports who have given this
matter very serious consideration de-
clare that to meet the immediate con-
solidation of the two Mexican armies
with the swift achievements which
would come to their ranks against a
common national enemy, the Ameri-
cans would imperatively need 10000
men as an army Of advance from the
border to the Fifth parallel-from
Las Pas, Lower California, to Mont
Grey or Saltlllo.
But this army Of advance would
need to be reinforced by as many or
even more men to gard the line OF
communications and to prevent the
swarming bands of Mexicans from
bridges, destroying forts and wrecking
the supply trains that would be alb
solutely necessary to support our
troops on the march, as they could
not live on the country through which
they pass.
This would mean $4,000 more men
to guard the lines Of communication.
II we should advance in flank move
ment upon Vera Cruz to Mexico City
we should probably require an army
of at least 10000 in advance and as
many in the rear passing through a
country more malarial than the worst
regions around Havana and San Diego
in the Cuban war.
Taken altogether, these army and
navy experts who were willing to tax
freely, but unofficially, believe that
in case Of war with Mexico, which
would follow upon Intervention, this
country would require no less than
500. 1000 men Of ofense and defense.