Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-07

4
division of full strength at San Antonio
| Tex, brigade of three regiments al
Galveston. brigade of infantry in the
Los Angeles district of southern Cali
fornia. together with squadron of bat
tleships and cruisers and transports al
Galveston. and small squadron of ships
at San Diego. At the same time. through
our representative at the City OF Mexico.
l expressed to President Diaz the hope
that no apprehenSionS might result from
unfOunded .cOnjectureS as to these mill
tary maneuvers. and assured him that
they had no significance which should
cause concern to his government.
The mobilization was effected with great
promptness. and on the 18th of March,
through the Secretary of War and the
Secretary of the Navy. in letter ad-
dressed to the chief of staff, 1 issued the
following instructions:
1T seems my duty as communicating
chief to place troops in sufficient number.
where. if Congress shall direct that they
enter Mexico to save American lives and
property. 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 goodwill
toward the present Mexican government
and with larger and more frequent patrols
along the border to prevent insurrection-
airy expeditions from American soil, will
hold up the hands of the existing govern
effect to prevent attacks upon Americans
and their property in any subsequent
general internecine strife. Again, the
sudden mobilization of a division of troops
has been great test of our army and
full of useful instruction, while the ma
neuvers that are thus made possible can
occupy the troops and their officers to
great advantage.
The assumption by the press that 1
contemplate Intervention on Mexicon soil
of course gratuitouS. because / seriously
doubt whether / have such authority I'M
der any circumstances, and If / had l
would not exercise it without express
congressional approval. Indeed. as you
know, l have already declined. without
Mexican consent, to order troop Of
cavalry to protect the breakwater We are
constructing just across the border In
Mexico at the mouth of the Colorado
river to save the Imperial valley. although
the insurrectOs had scattered the MeXi-
can troops and were taking our horses
and supplies and frightening our work
men away. My determined purpose, how
ever, is to he in a position so that when
danger to American lives and property
in Mexico threatens and the existing gov
eminent is rendered helpless by the in
surrectioA4 l can promptly execute con-
gressional orders to protect Them with
effect.
Points of Especial Importance.
Meantime. 1 send You this letter,
through the Secretary, to call your atten-
ton to some things in connection with
the presence of the division in the south
west which have doubtless occurred to
you, but which l wish to emphasize
I'm the first place. 1 want to make the
mobilization first-class training for the
army. and l wish you would give your
time and that of the War College to ad-
vislng and carrying out maneuvers of
useful character. and plan to continue to
10 TINS during the next three months.
BY that time we may expect that either
Amba ssadOr Wilson's fears will have been
realized and chaos and it's consequences
have enSued, or that the present govern
ment of Mexico will have SO readjusted
matters as to secure tranquillity-a result
devoutly to be wished. The troops can
then be returned to their posts, / under
stood from you in Washington that Gen.
Aleshire said that you could proba bly,
meet all the additional expense of this
whole movement out of the present ap-
preparations if the troops continue in
Texas for three months. / sincerely hope
this is so. I observe from the newspapers
that you have no blank cartridges. but l
presume that this is an error, or that it
will be easy to procure those for use as
soon as your maneuvers begin.
Second. Texas is state ordinarily
peaceful. but you cannot put 2O.U0
troops into it without running some risk
of collision between the people Of the
state. and especially the Mexicans who
live in Texas near the border and who
sympathiZe with the insurrectos. and the
federal soldiers. For that reason I beg
you to be as careful you can to pre-
vent friction of any kind. We were able
in Cuba, will, the army of pacification
there of something more than 5000 troops,
to maintain them for Il year without any
trouble. and l hope YOU can do the same
thing in Texas. Please give your atten-
ton to this. and advise all the officers in
command of the necessity for very great
circumspection in this regard.
Third. One of the great troubles in
the concentration of troops is the danger
of disease. and l suppose that you have
preventing and. il necessary, for stamp
ing out epidemics. That is so much a
part of campaign that it hardly seems
necessary for me to call attention to it.
Finally. / wish YOU to examine the
question of the patrol of the border and
practicable. and more than are now en-
gagged in it. in order to prevent the use of
our borderland for the carrying on of the
Instruction l have given assurances to
the Mexican ambassador OH this point.
II sincerely hope that this experience
will always be remembered by the army
and navy as useful means of education.
and / should be greatly disappointed if
II resulted IN any INJURY or disaster to
our forces from any cause l have taken
good deal of responsibility in ordering
this mobilization. but l am ready to
answer for it if only YOU and those under
you use the utmost care to avoid the diff
ficulties which have pointed out.
You may have copy of this letter
made and left with Gen. Carter and such
other generals in command as you may
think wise and necessary to guide them
in their course, but to be regarded as
confidential"
Approximations Groundless.
| am more than happy to here record
the fact that all apprehensions as to the
effect OF the presence of SO large a mill
tary force in Texas proved groundIess; no
disturbances occurred: the conduct of the
troops was exemplary and the public re-
ception and treatment of them was all
that could have been desired and this
Notwithstanding the presence of "a large
number of Mexican refugees in the bor-
der territory.
From time to time communications were
received from Ambassador Wilson, who
had returned to Mexico, confirming the
view that the massing of American troops
i'm the peishborhOOd had had good eff