Arizona republican., 1913-02-23
R etiring Administration Takes Time by Forelock and Orders Infantry and Cavalry to Galveston Ready to Embark
NOT SENT INTO
 NEARBY REPUBLIC
.Ostensibly They Are to Be on Hand in Nearby Port Ready to Be Sent to Mexico If Occasion Re quires Their Presence
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPATCHl

[
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-About four thousand soldiers were ordered today to Galveston, Texas and vicinity, the nearest seaport adapted to the embar- kation of troops for Mexico. They are not under orders to proceed to Mexico and it is the expectation and hope of the administration that it will not be necessary to issue orders for such a movement.
 The situation in that country, how ever is considered to warrant the con CcntratiOn of d force strong enough to take possession of a seaport and open the way to an invasion of the country. It will be for President Wilson to de- termine whether such an expedition will be dispatched. although, of course, it is assumed he will first seek the guidance of congress.
 The president elect has placed him. self in a position to acquire the speci- fife Knowledge as to all details before he comes to Washington on March 3. Up to today the war department off cials have contented themselves with the issuance of preliminary orders to two brigades of troops, the First bri- gade of the First division in New York state and the Fifth brigade, Second di- vision in the middle west.
 A subsequent order attached to this brigade, three army pack trains, each with sixty mules, one from Fort Ogle- thorpe, Ga, one from Fort Robinson, Neb.. and one from PresidiO, San Fan cisco. Also to supply d sufficient force of cavalry to protect the Hanks and reconnOiter for the infantry, an order was dispatched to Major General Car ter at Chicago to send to Galveston the Fourth or Mountain Battery of field artillery. commanded by Col Alexander B. Eyer, stationed at Fort D. A. Rus sell. WNO. Orders were issued to Gen eral Carter to prepare the Fourth bri- gade Second division, for transpOrta- ton to Galveston but not to dispatch them This comprises the twenty third, tWenty-siXth and twenty regiments of infantry commanded by Brig Gen. Ramsay D. Potts. In the meanwhile the First brigade First di-
 
 Twenty ninth regiments of infantry, commanded by Brig. Gen. Marion P. Maus. with headquarters at Albany, N. Y. are held under preparatory orders. Three army transports, the Sumner, Fitzpatrick and Mcclellan, now enroute from Newport News to Galveston where they are due about Tuesday next, will be joined at that port by the army transport Meade. as soon as that vessel has discharged at Guantanamo the twelve hundred marines embarked at Philadelphia early in the week. This it is believed will afford ample trans portatiOn facilities at least for the Fifth brigade This represents probably all the preparations that will be undertak- en in the closing days of the present administration to meet any emergency in the Mexican situation
 Tn the ordinary course it would re- ouire at least eight days and perhaps longer to assemble divisions at one of the Gulf ports ready for authorization It was decided that this is a greater period of time than should properly be allowed to elapse before diSpatcning troops to Mexico if a great emergency should arice Therefore with the pur- pose of saving this time, orders were issued today to entrain the entire Fifth brigade, Second division, for the Gal weston troops, being under command of Brig Gen. Frederick A. Smith, com prising the Fouth Seventh. Nineteenth and Twenty eighth regiments of in fantry: D company of the Second bat talon of engineers. the Fifth hospita number ambulance corps and one signal corps company from Fort Leav-