Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-28
WAR MAP Of MEXICO
Miniature of Conditions Access
sibIe to President Taft.
ON WALL OF CABINET ROOM
Tacks and Pins With Colored Heads
Indicate Army Positions.
ALL CHANGES KEPT UP TO DATE
Progress of Federal or Rebel Troops,
as Shown in the Cipher
Dispatches.
ALL CHANGES KEPT UP TO DATE

White House is q map Of Mexico pep
pered with red. yellow and green headed
tacks or pins. It is President Taft's
Mexican war map. On it is registered
every change in the Mexican situation.
At the bases Of some Of the tacks numer-
ais are written on tiny slips Of vari-col-
ored paper. Other tacks fly miniature
pennants and others are connected with
lines Of arrows demark1ng line Of
progress of federal or rebel troops.
Often a senator or representative or
some one interested in Mexican affairs
will lay before the President a report re-
garding some district in Mexico. In an
instant, by studying this map, Mr.. Taft
is able to check up the report with the
latest Information received from the
United States consular and diplo-
matte officers in Mexico, which means
a cabinet meeting, Or any time, the Presi-
dent has before him a complete survey
OF the Mexican situation.
All Changes Noted.
Huntington Wilson, the acting secretary
of state, Is responsible for the map, and
he has delegated one man to keep it cor
rected up to the minute from dispatches
and other reports arriving each day. Sew
eral times a day the telegraph keys at
the State Department, just across the
street from the White House, click off
a dozen code words, which are slowly
report, perhaps. of the consul of Du-
range, Mexico, announcing the advance
of the federal forces toward Velardena,
where 100 Americans are penned up
to the White House and advances one Of
the green-headed tacks one-sixteenth Of
an inch nearer the tiny Speck marking
the town of Velardena.
At the War Department, Department of
Justice and the War College other code
messages are clicking off the keys. A
secret agent of the Department of JUS
tice reports a border raid or the threat
ened gathering of troops south of Juarez
To the War Department Col. Steever re-
ports the dispatch of American cavalry
to some troublous border point. The
War College is told of each bridge burn
ed and each railroad track destroyed.
Consular and diplomatic officers report
each move of federals and rebels. All
Of this information and much more is
conveyed to the cabinet room map. Each
colored-headed pin or tack tells story
of it's own-the location of federal or
rebel forces, conditions of unrest or of
anarchy or the opinion Of 'consuls as to
the safety of American lives or property.
In Touch With Conditions.
In this way President Taft is kept In
touch day by day with the rapidly chang
ing conditions in Mexico. He has only
to walk into the cabinet room from his
office. glance at the map and see whether
the revolutionary movement has moved
north or south. or whether forces OF
either are threatening American interests
anywhere.
On some days at the State Department
a. a-vx nicyhf ri raCatVpd
from consular officers and from the en-
bassy in Mexico City. There is a dupli-
cate of the Presidents map in the office
Of the acting secretary of state and an
other at the War College. 1t Is never
necessary for the President at a cabinet
meeting, or when discussing the Mexican
situation with Secretary of War Slim
son. or State Department officials. to go
back over the course of developments.
He has the developments before him.
kilograms are constantly coming into
the White House and the State De-
partment. asking protection for some
American citizen or for American proper
ty in Mexico The map will show what
is the probable danger to that property
or man If the inquiry refers to a To-
cality where conditions are especially bad
the consul there is asked to make a spe-
cial report. but in many cases the in
uuiries concern a province known to be
peaceful and the President can give reas
Surance at once.
Solves a Problem.
The story of this map explains the
question often asked in Washington:
How can a man as busy as the Presi-
dent keep abreast with the whirlwind
changes Of the Mexican situation"
The war map is the Presidents ready
guide. It is supplemented with reports
received from United States agents in
Mexico. which are compiled. indexed and
printed at the State Department, put in
book form and kept to date on the Pres
ident's table In a crisis the President
is able to direct the movement of troops
and make quick decisions on international
questions with almost accurate knowl-
l,o In Maxfco