The Washington herald., 1914-04-24
FLEET DIVIDED
I BY new Orders
Daniels Provides Special Serv-
ice Squadron for In
shore Work.
WINSLOW In COMMAND
Formation to Consist of Dreadnoughts
New York and Texas and Four
teen Smaller Ships.
WINSLOW In COMMAND

| Secretary of the Navy Daniels an
| nounced yesterday that he had issued or
ders for the formation of a special service
! squadron OF the Atlantic Fleet for inshore
| work on the cast coast of Mexico. II
Is to be composed OF the great new dread
noughts New York and Texas. which have
just been commissioned. and fourteen
ships. including reserve cruisers. destroy
| ers. torpedo boats and scouts
| The special squadron will be command
ed by Rear Admiral Cameron McRae
| Winslow. now at the War College, who
until last December. commanded the first
| division of the Atlantic Fleet Admiral
| Winslow's flag was then on the Arkan-
! sas. now the flagship Of Admiral Badger.
| He Is the ranking rear admiral Of the
| fleet. next to Admiral Badger and il was
\ then expected that some time this spring
he would succeed Badger as commander
| in-chief.
| Admiral Winslow will have the Se-v
York as his flagship and will sail fo-
Mexican waters on her Sunday or Mon
day. Secretary Daniels announced the
formation OF the squadron in the fol-
I lowing statement:
The Secretary Of the Navy today Is
sued orders forming a special service
squadron for service on the east Goa Il
OF Mexico. Rear Admiral Cameron McR
Winslow has been selected to comma nd
and will hoist his flag on the New York.
which will leave Sunday or Monday to
join the fleet now in Mexican waters
The squadron will consist of the battle
ships New York and Texas. the armOred
cruisers Washington and Montana the
Tacoma. Des Moines. Chester. Salem
Nashville. Dolphin. Castine. Machias
Paducah. Wheeling. Petrel. Eagle. and
other vessels as they become available
from time TO time. The most OF these
vessels are well adopted for inshore
work on the Mexican coast. and the sX-
perience and ability Of Rear Admiral
WinslOw eminently fits him for COM
mand OF this squadron
The forty-eight warships now in Mex
ican waters are located as follows:
TampiCo-ConneCticUt Dolphin. Henley.
Mccall. Paulding. Burrows, Trippe. Beale.
Jenkins. Birmingham. Des Moines. Cy-
clOps. Drayton. Warrington. Ammen. Pat
terson. Tanning. Jarvis, Jouett. Dixie.
Vera Cruz-Florida. Minnesota. Yer
mont. New Hampshire. Michigan; Prairie.
San Francisco. Orion. Ontario. Mexico
Cchartered). Utah. Arkansas. New Jersey.
South Carolina. Louisiana. Chester. Han
cock. Solace. Sonoma.
Salina Cruz: Annapolis Zen route from
ACapulco). Denver Zen route from Cor
iEtOI.
Mazatlan: California. Raleigh.
Topologampo: Yorktown. Glacier.
Guayn,as: Justin. New Orleans ten
route from Mazallan).
$500 Marines on Land.
Unofficial reports reaching the Secre-
tary of the Navy contain the informa-
tion that :a;iroaI trains on the Tehuan-
tcpec Railway have ceased running and
that vessels Cf the American waiian
Steamship Line have changed their ter
miral from Salina Cruz TO Panama He
had not received any advices that Ad-
miral Badger had ordered the railroad
h"t%cen Vera Cruz and Mexico City
seIzcd
Admiral Badger wired The depart
ment that he is sending the Esper-
anza. with about 400 refugees. to Gal
weston, where they will he landed The
Esperanza will then return for more
The steamer Mexico has been chartered
and will be sent to TampicO to trans.
port other refugees to Galveston. and
the Cyclops also will be employed for
this purpose.
Admiral Badger will send a ship tC
TuXpan to take off refugees at that
point. The refugees who probably will
reach Galveston number 2.0OO.
VI
Secretary Daniels said that the ref
erenCe in the Mayo dispatch to the
courtesy and energy of the captains
of the German and British cruisers" is
further explained in an earlier dispatch
TO the effect that the American ships
were lying outside the river. about
nine miles from the city of Tampico.
and that the officers of the British and
German cruisers kindly volunteered to
transport refugees from the city to the
United States ships outside.
Secretary Daniels announced that the
Navy Department would charter another
vessel to send to Mexico to receive re-
fugees unable to find room on the YES
sells already there. 1t was expected that
by tonight this ship will be steaming for
Mexican waters. She will go direct to
Vera Cruz.
The refugees, l understand. are most
ly Americans" said Mr.. Daniels. but
all other foreign refugees who want TO
leave Mexico will be given place aboard
the American vessels. Arrangements
will be made with immigration officials.
so there will he as little delay as pos
siblc in landing the refugees at Calves
ton. While the greatest number of refu-
gees now is at Vera Cruz. they will be
taken of also at TuXpan. Tampico. and
other points. Admiral Mayo and Admiral
Fletcher today wired me that they have
been so busy handling the outrush of
foreigners that they have not had time
to write kilograms about other important
matters. | am informed that there is
little confusion in embarking the refu-
gees"
Admiral Badger cabled he has COM
pleted plans TO use the steamer Mexico
at Vera Cruz to take of refugees expected
at the port from Mexico City. The liam
cock and Cyclops have been ordered to
stop at Tampico en- route to Galveston
to take on refugees The Esperanza is
reported en- route to Galveston via Tam
pico with refugees.