Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-09
MEXICO CANNOT UNDER.
STAND AND IS DISTURBED
Her Ambassador Accepts Washington's
Statement That 1t Is Simply Practice
Maneuvers==Says He Knows Moth
ing of Diaz'S Illness.
THE TROOPS EN- ROUTE.

Washington. March S.-Thc officers
who set the machinery going for the
great gathering OF United states
troops and warships from end 10 end
| of the Mexican frontier, today drew
their first long breath in SO hours and
sat back in their chairs in the war
and navy departments to watch the
| thing work. From all directions trains
and vessels are carrying soldiers.
horses, field guns and ammunition to-
ward the places of rendezvous.
The conundrum over which the un-
informed are puzzling tonight is the
question Of the real attitude of the
Mexican government toward this un-
precedented display OF war resources
at its doorstep. 1t is the general be-
lief, however, that the Diaz govern
ment was not in the Least taken by
surprise in the matter. The cordialitv
of the relations between the Taft and
the Diaz administrations as expressed
when the two presidents met on the
international bridge last Year. had not
been diminished by amy happening
since, so far as is known here, and it
Is taken for granted that the unpre-
Cedented mobilization of troops within
a few steps Of the Mexican soil. never
would have been effected without suit
able interchange between the two gov
ernnents to preclude the possibility Of
misunderstanding. Those who hold
this view think it sufficient to ask
what would happen il one great power
in Europe should suddenly mass d
quarter of its entire military fore,
within Sfrttf inc igf az h.,
AIRY line separating it from another.
unless u perfect understanding existed
in advance as to the purpose of the
movement
There would be war over night.
these people say. And assuming tbs
validity of their argument they build
upon it the belief that the presence of
this large naval and military force al
most under the shadow Of the Mexican
flag is not only not distasteful, but is
actually welcome to the Diaz govern
mcnt
Washingtouians today compared the
conditions prevailing at the war and
navy departments with the turmoil
and excitement which characterized
the early days OF the Spanish Amcri-
can war. Thirty-six hours after the
determination was reached To mobilize
whole army division in Texas, the
otflcials were sitting tranquilly at their
desks watching with quiet interest the
workings of the machinery thai had
been so carefully built up 10 respond
to Just such an emergency as the
present. The secretary of war WAS
busy winding up some important mat
ters of civil administration preparatory
to leaving Washington for several
days. Nothing of military nature in
terfered with his designs and he was
able to proceed late in the day for At
lanta
Major Gen. Wood, the CHIEF OF staff
came into town from his Fort Myer
home early in the day and was soon
busy with the reports from his aides
and from the other members of the
general staff showing what progress
was being made in carrying out the
plans for mobilization of the troops.
These appeared to have been laid
with perfection and with the exception
of dispatching orders to certain COM
panies to take the place of others
whose withdrawal to Texas had left
some Of the military posts without
proper caretakers. there was little to
be done.
Major Gen. Carter, who is to COM
nlaGd the army division in Texas, was
looking after some personal corrcspun-
dence and making sure that his favor
lite charger would be suitably cared
for on the long railroad trip to Texas.
Nowhere was the superiority of the
new state Of affairs that existed in the
war department before the days of
the Spanish War made more manifest
than in the quartermastcrs depart
ment. General Aleshire, with his dep
uties, was engaged in a Herculanean
task-hc was moving IA body of soldiers
across the country more numerous
than the entire force which was gath
cred at Tampa, Fla. to form the
American army of occupation in 1898,
yet there actually was no evidence to
the casual observer that there was in
progress anything more than mere
routine of the quartermaster's depart
ment. The troops movements were
proceeding with absolutely accuracy
and up to the close of business today,
not one telegram had been received by