The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-15
Official Tension Relaxes
With News Of Ma
dero's Resignation.
ALL IN READINESS
FOR INTERVENTION
Warships Now Hurrying Toward
Mexican Ports and Will Be
Permitted to Continue to
Their Destinations-Army
No Less Prepared for
Service Than Navy.

Washington, February i1.-'rhe news
OF Francisco i. Mndcros voluntary
rellnHuishmcnt of the presidency of
hextcO brought relief 10 Official circles
In Washington, in which the situatiOn II
has been hourly growing more tcnSe.
The announcement, coming at the
close of n day which had been steadily
turning nEEinss President NIaderO,
bnrdiy wns surprising. 1t served in
stnntiy to cIcur tho horizon of the
storm clouds TINT cnmc ncnrer ms the
prospect OF armed interference on the
pnrt OF the United Stntcs seemed In
evitRbie
state Department officials. since the
opening of the fight in The Plaza be-
fore the Mexican National Palace la ~
sunday. have eagerly waited night and
day tor official and unofficial advices
from the scene Of the conflict. and the
government was fully prepared 10 meet
any situation which might arise
Combined Forces Ready.
As result of the cooperation of
the Navy and War Departments, their
combined forces already were in readi- :
ness for Mexican Service. Coincidcnt
with the receipt OF the news OF Ma
was flashed to the Navy Department
here announcing the arrival off the
Pacific Mexican port OF MaZatlan OF tho
cruiser Colorado. the first OF the six
American warships to reach its dcsti-
nation off tho shores OF the revolution
torn republic
Five other warships are well on their
way toward Mexican ports, and Acting
Secretary Winthrop said tonight that
! in all probability they would continue
to their destinations
Not less prepared was the army. The
entire First Brigade of the First Di-
vision. 1900 strong, was under march
, ing orders and awaiting the comma nd
i OF Ma ajor-Gcneral Leonard Wood. chief
OF STAFF, to entrain from their respec-
tive stations in New York and pro
ceed 20 Newport News. Va. where four
army transports are fully equipped and
provisioned to set out for the Gulf
OF Mexico 10 augment the naval forces
Or the battleships, the Georgia is
| due TO reach Vera Cruz tomorrow,
while the Virginia is due in Tampico
the same day. By Sunday the Vermont
and Nebraska should also have com
pleted their journey to Vera Cruz.
No Attempt to Recall Them.
The cruiser South Dakota should he
the revolution, not later than Sunday.
AS they are all so near the destinations.
Acting Secretary Winthrop said il
would hardly be eXpedient TO attempt
their recall Immediately
II probably will be determined TO
leave at least one warship off the Pa
ciiic and one off the Atlantic Coast,
while the others may return to their
routine duties. or perhaps be pressed
into Central American service. where
conditions, which, il is feared. fore
cast q general uprising, have been al
most lost sight OF on account of the
concern of officials over Mexican af-
fairs.
Secretary Knox was early i'll con-
sultation With Assistant Secretary
Huntington Wilson and the state De-
partment STAFF tonight Immediately
after the announcement OF President
Madcro's resignation, and hurried dis
patches were sent To Ambassador Will
son in the Mexican capital. 1t was
said no definite instructions would be
sent TO MIR. Wilson until he had OIL
cially reported the abdicatiou. In the
absence of such report, department
officials decline to comment on the
sudden and dramatic turn i'm Mexican
affairs.
News Rcnchcs Taft.
President Taft. when the news
reached Washington, was at dinner at
the home of Secretary MacVcagh lie
was notified of the development at once
by White House attaches. and soon
af.erward heard from the Secretary Of
State. Though the Presidents com
ment was not made public il was
stated that there might he a confer
ence of Cabinet officials later in tho
night. 1t was not regarded as prob
able. however, that any plan pro,nul
gated by the government early in the
week for protecting American inter-
| ests in Mexico would bo altered at this
! time.
| Madero's resignation, it is felt gen
orally by officials here, justifies the
correctness of this governments atti-
tude In adopting and following persist :
emily hands-off policy In the solution
of tho Mexican situation. and il also
is the prevailing opinion that IL will
| be cXpedient to continue a patrol in
Mexican waters until conditions have
settled considerably.
Francisco dc la Barra, who was Mex
lean ambassador here in the closing
days of the old Diaz regime, was
known TO have been opposed to inter
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