Arizona republican., 1911-03-09
The Mo bilization.

The mobilization along the border of
practically all there is of the Ameri-
can army in the United States not
unreasonably arouscs suspicion that
all the army posts have not been de-
nuded and considerable part of the
naval force has not been ordered into
Gulf and Southern Pacific ports for
war practice.
Nor may it he supposed that if the
affairs of Mexico were in such scri-
Gus shape as To call for American in
PREVENTION. so great force would be
required. 1t cannot be imagined that
naval cooperation would be needed
at all
From all that can be learned of the
revolution, it exists only in name
No important city of Mexico has
even been threatened. and the nearest
stage of the theater of war is set far
from any Mexican seaport.
If this is field practice under war
conditions" the movement has been
preceded by most unusual secrec-
Hitherto war games and naval games.
none of which have ever been played
in this country np such an extensive
scale. have been :he subject o. dis
cussion for weeNs in advance The
first intimation of the presen. move
ment came with the announcement
On Monday that troops had be Il or
uered TO the border from certain
army posts. presumably to strengthen
the guard. which was insufficient to
prevent the violation of neutrality.
Naturally. the air is filled with con-
lectures. some of them impossibly
wild and the rest hardly less so: The
anticipation of Intervention by a Eu-
ropean power. when there seems no
need for intervention: some sinister
design against Mexico. when we are
assured that the cordially of our re-
lations with Mexico has not been
diminished
There is. however. one cloud. though
a slight one. on our relations with
Mexico which has not received much
notice. 4 few weeks ago The Repub-
lican printed a story brought by
New York man of prominence. who
had just come to Phoenix from a
tour Of western Mexico He had
learned, he said. from an authorita-
tive source. that the Mexican govern
ment had leased as a coaIing station
to Japan Magdalena bay. which the
United States, after an occupation
of several years. had surrendered.
The story was printed afterward,
though not widely. by the Associated
Press. but it evoked no comment at
Washington In the last session of
congress the question was once asked
why the government had surrendered
the coaling station. The reply was
made that the station had been held
under a reciprocal arrangement with
Mexico which had been dissolved by
mutual consent.
There is some reason. however. To
suspect that the dissolution was not
accomplished with a concurrent un-
derstanding on both sides. III Inn
parcial of recent date prints an article
from FL Diaro. an official journal
relative to this matter. which ind-
Gates that the Mexican government
was not certain regarding the sur
render of the station. II sent for
information as to when American
ships had last occupied the station
The reply forwarded from the agent
of the Mexican government at Id
Paz conveyed the information that nc
American war vessel had been al
Magdalena bay since November oi
last year and that only two GOLFERS
and two cruisers had touched there
since the maneuvers of two year
ago.
Whether or not this information
which might have been furnished di
rect from our government. was de
sired. previous To entering into nego
tiations with Japan can only be
matter of conjecture. The fact
though that the information wa
sought from La Paz rather than from
Washington implies a want of under
standing with our government