Semi-weekly herald., 1913-03-03

easily be solved without further legis-
lation There are now about 5000
officers and 100000 enlisted men in
the militia. In the call for volun-
GERS each of these men would be in
vited to join the volunteer forces. 1t
is believed that practically every mill
tia organization would thus enter the
service of the United States as vol
unteer troops with practically the
same personnel as now. 1t would be
necessary, however, to recruit each
militia company up to war strength
of 112 men from the present average
of about sixty-five or seventy.
But even this would be only be-
ginning, as it would add at the most
only l25, 900 men to the regular forces.
Between 5000 and 100000 addition
al men would have to be obtained from
the country at large if the estimates
of the military experts are correct.
These estimates make little allowance
for losses by casualties in battle, sick
ness or expiration of enlistment Pc
riod. Inasmuch as there already is
very strong popular opposition to
intervention in Mexico it is not to be
expected that the necessary troops
could be raised without great diff
Guilty.
The proposal to intervene in Mexi-
co involves nothing calculated to
arouse such wave of popular ap-
proval as welcomed the war with
Spain. Army officers believe that this
lack of enthusiasm would increase as
months went by without final COM
pletion of the task undertaken. The
United States is enjoying at present a
period of great prosperity-every man
who wants to work has employment
and the experience of centuries has
shown that it is difficult to get men
to fight when they have remunera-
tive employment at home.
The troops of the regular army
would be the first to enter Mexico.
During their preliminary operations
the militia forces would be organ
lied and concentrated in maneuver
camps for the drills necessary to whip
them into shape. AS soon as they
were even half ready for taking the
field they would have to be sent to the
front and succeeded in the mobiliza-
tion camps by additional volunteers.
In the meantime the government
would be hard pressed to obtain vast
quantities of arms, ammunition, cloth
ing, equipment and supplies of every
sort necessary for the conduct of the
military operations.
Flans have already been drawn for
the opening of hostilities. Though the
details of these plans are regarded
as highly confidential, the general pro-
gram is known. Two points have
been selected for the pushing of our
fcrces into Mexico. There are the
northern frontier and the gulf coast.
On the north first blows would be
struck at places where railroads con-
meet Mexico with the United States.
Laredo, Eagle Pass and Ell Paso offer
the most direct railroad routes into
Mexico. OF these the Mexican Ma
tional Railway, with terminus oppo-
site Laredo, Tex, offers the shortest
and most direct means of ingress to
the most important sections of Mex
leo.
Seizure of all railroad rolling stock
and equipment at these points would
be the first move. Then cavalry would
be dispatched to seize and hold as
many points along the line of com
man'cation as could be taken. It
would be their duty to hold open line
of communication until REINFORCED by
divisions of infantry, cavalry and ar
tille,y. Thus the advance would go
on, with Mexico City as the objective
The attempt would not be mada to
rush to Mexico City without first oc-
oupying all important cities on the
way.
IN the meantime an assault would
be hegun at Vera Cruz. This was the
program followed in the war with
Mexico in 1S47. In that war General
Zachary Taylor was in command Of
the armies in the north and General
Winfield Scott conducted the opera
tions at Vera Cruz. 1t will be re
membered that the war occupied near
ly two years and that it took more
than year for the Vera Cruz di-
vision to reach Mexico City. Yet Mex
leo was then divided into two fac
tions, one favoring and the other op-
posing the war, while one government
after another collapsed in Mexico City.
The navy would probably find al
most its only part in the war in re-
duoing the batteries guarding the port
of Vera Cruz. To take these would
be undoubtedly a simple matter and
The way would then be opened for the
landing of troops. 1t would be COM
easy to get part of this
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