Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-03-09

Washington. March S-Officers who
set the machinery going for the great
mobilization of United States troops
and warships on the Mexican frontier
today sat back in their chairs in the
war and navy departments with the
thing working"
From all directions trains were carry
ing soldiers. horses, field guns and am
munition toward the places of rendez-
vous Official Washington still insists
that the sole purpose of this sudden
and unexpected display of the military
resources Of the nation is to engage in
field maneuvers and practice under
service conditions. but privately they
make little attempt to conceal that the
maneuvers have to do with conditions
actual and potential over the Mexican
border line.
A conundrum over which the unin-
formed are puzzling tonight is the real
attitude of the Mexican government
toward this unprecedented display Of
war resources at its doorstep. Not a
word of an authoritative character is
obtainable on that subject. The gen
eral belief is that the Diaz government
is not in the least taken by surprise.
The cordiality of the relations between
the Taft and Diaz administrations as
expressed when the two presidents met
at the international bridge has not
been diminished by any happening
since. so far as is known here.
1t is taken for granted that this I'M
precedented mobilization Of troops
within a few steps of Mexican soil new
er would have been effected without
a suitable interchange between the two
govrnments to preclude the POSSIBLE
ty of a misunderstanding. Those who
hold this view think it is sufficient to
ask what would happen if one great
power of Europe should suddenly mass
a quarter of its entire military force
within striking distance of an imagin-
airy line separating IT from another. I'M
less a perfect understanding existed in
advance
There would be war over night"
these people say, and assuming the
validity of the argument, they buHd
the belief that the presence of this
great naval and military force almost
under the Mexican flag is actually well
coined by the Diaz government. Old
Washingtonians compared the condi-
tions prevailing today at the war and
navy departments with the turmoil
which characterized the early days of
the Spanish American war.
Within thirty-six hours a determine
ton was reached TO mobilize a whole
army division in Texas, and the off
cials are sitting TRANQUILITY at their
desks watching with quiet interest the
workings of the magnificent machinery
that has been so carefully built to re-
spond to just such an emergency With |
the exception of dispatching orders to
certain companies to take the place |
of others whose withdrawal for Texas |
has left some military posts without |
proper caretakers little is to be done. |
The secretary OF war was busy winding |
up important matters Of civil admins |
tration preparatory to leaving Wash /
ington for several DAYS. He vas able
to proceed late today to Atlanta Major |
General Carter of the division of Texas |
is looking after his personal CORE |
spondence making sure that favorite
chargers win be suitably cared for on
the long railroad trip to Texas.
Nowhere is the superiority of the
new state of affairs over those that ex-
listed in the war department in the
DAYS of the Spanish war made more
manifest than in the quartermaster's
General Ayrshire. with
his deputies, was engaged in the her
cuIean task of sending a body of sol
diers across the country more numerous
than the entire force gathered at Tam
pa. Fla. to form the American army
Of occupation in 1898, vet there is actu-
ally no evidence to the casual observer
Of the progress of anything more than
routine business. The troop move
ments were proceeding with accuracy.
IN to the close of business today, not
one telegram has been received by the
general to complain that
ANYTHING essential to the comfort of
the men and animals on the road is
missing. There is good reason for this.
for the records OF the quartermaster's
show that every detail had
been laid out long in advance, Every