The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-08

| Secretary of the Navy, in letter ad- dressed to the chief of staff, l issued
 the following instructions:
 Ut seems my duty as commander Tn chlei
 to place troops in sufficient number where
 if Congress shall direct that they enter
 Mexico to save American lives and prop erty, an effective movement may be
 promptly made. Meantime, the movement
 of the troops to Texas and elsewhere
 near the boundary, accompanied with sin cere assurances of the utmost good will toward the present Mexican government
 and with larger and more frequent patrols
 along the border to prevent insurrectlon-
 ary expeditions from American soil, will
 hold up the hands of the existing govern
 ment and will have a healthy moral ef- fectto prevent attacks upon Americans and their property in any subsequent general
 internecine strife Again, the sudden mobilization of a division of troops has
 been a great test of our army and tull of useful instruction, while the maneu- vers that are thus made possible can occupy the troops and their officers to great advantage.
 "The assumption by the press that l contemplate intervention on Mexican soil to protect American lives or property is of course gratuitous, because l seriously doubt whether I have such authority un- der any circumstances, and if l had 1 would not exercise u without express con- gressional approval. Indeed, as you know, I have already declined, without Mexican consent, to order a troop of cavalry 10 protect the breakwater We are construct ing just across the border in Mexico at the mouth of the Colorado river to save the Imperial valley, although the insur- rectos had scattered the Mexican troops and were taking our horses and supplies and frightening our workmen away. My determined purpose, however, Is to be Tn a position so that when danger to Amer ican lives and property in Mexico threat ems and the existing government Is rem dered helpless by the insurrection, l can promptly execute congressional orders to protect, with effect.
 Meantime, I send you this letter, through the Secretary, 10 call your at tention to some things in connection with the presence of the division in the south- west which have doubtless occurred to you. but which I wish to emphasize.
 Tn the first place, I want to make the mobilization a first class training for the army, and I wish you would give your tiI-re and that of the War college to advis- ing and carrying out maneuvers of a use full character, and plan to continue to do this during the next three months. By that time we may expect that either Am bassador Wilson fears will have been realized and chaos and it's consequences have ensued or that the present govern ment of Mexico will have so adjusted matters as to secure tranquility-a re- suit devoutly to be wished. The troops can then be returned to their posts. understand from you in Washington that General Aleshire said that you could prob- ably meet all the additional expense or this whole movement out of the present if the troops continue in Texas for three months. l sincerely nope this is so. l observe from the news papers that you have no blank cartridges, I presume that this is an ensor, or that 1t will be easy to procure those Tor use as soon as your maneuvers begin.
 "2 Texas is a state ordinary peace full but you cannot put 0,oo troops into it without running some risk of a collision between the people of the state. and especially the AeXicans who live in Texas near the border and who svmpathize with the insurrectos, and the federal soldiers. For that reason I beg you to be as careful as you can 10 pre- rent friction of any kind. We are able n Cuba. with the army of pacihcation here of something more than 5000 troops a maintain them for a year without any trouble. and I hope you can do the same hing in Texas Please give your atten- ion to this, and advise all the officers n command of the necessity for very great circumspection in this regard.
 "3. One of the great troubles in the of troops is the danger of disease and I suppose that you nave adopted the most modern methods TOT the preventing and, 1T necessary TOT stamping out epidemics. That is SO much a part of a campaign that 1t hardly seems necessary for me to call attention to it.
 'Finally, I wish you to examine the nuestion of the patrol Of the poruer and put as many troops on that work as is practicable, and more than are now engaged in it, ir order to pre- vent the use of our borderland for the carving on of the insurrection. I have given assurances to the Mexican am bassador on this point.
 q sincerely hope that this experience will always be remembered by the army and navy as a useful means or edu- cation, and I should be greatly disap- pointed if it resulted in any injury or disaster to our forces from any cause. I have taken a good deal of respon- sibility in ordering this mobilization, but I am ready to answer for it if only you and those under you use the utmost care to avoid the difficulties which I have poi~ced 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 re- garded as confidential.'
 Fears Groundless
 am more than happy to here record the fact that all apprehensions as to the effect of the presence of so large military force in Texas proved ground less; no disturbances occurred; the con duct 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 a large number of Mex ican refugees in the border territory.
 From time to time communications were received from Ambassador Will son. who had returned to Mexico, con- firming the view that the massing of American troops in the neighb hborhood 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 ensue should the constitutional author ities be eventually overthrown, thus greatly increasing the danger to which American lives and property are al
 ready subject, confirm the wisdom of the President in taking those military precautions which, making every al lowance for the dignity and the sov- ereignty of a friendly state, are due 10 our nationals abroad.
 Charged as I am with the respon- sibility of safeguarding these lives and
 property, I 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-
 ty of our nationals and their property
 If it should eventuate that conditions
 here require more active measures by the President and Congress. sporadic