Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-06-09
TANP|CO TO
Remain OPEN
TO COMMERCE
United States Will Not Allow Huer-
ia to Blockade
Port.
WILL TRY TO AVOID A CRISIS
Federals May Be Allowed To Pro-
hibit Landing of Am
munition.
WILL TRY TO AVOID A CRISIS

Washington, D. c., June S.-A
new crisis in the Mexican difficulty
faced the Washington government
last night. 1t was a situation fraught
with perils for mediation and with
possibilities that might precipitate
war between the United States and
Mexico.
;. General Huerta brought about the
crisis by ordering gunboats to block
ade the port of Tampico and seize a
cargo of ammunition enroute there
for constitutionalists aboard the
steamer Antilla from New York fly
ing the Cuban flag. Huerta has no.
titled the powers of the intent to
blockade the port and that he pro-
poses to seize the cargo consigned
to the belligerents against his SOW
ereignty as contraband of war.
The purpose of the United States
to suppress the attempt to blockade
and prevent interference with the
Antilla was indicated last night
when Secretary Daniels issued an Of
fetal statement announcing that
while no new orders had been given
Rear Admiral Badger, there had
been no change in the policy of the
government in reference to it's desire
that the port of Tampico shall be
open to all commerce. The state
ment follows:
"The navy department has issued
no new orders to Admiral Badger
since the Mexican gunboats were re-
ported to be leaving Puerta Mexico.
The department has at no time con-
templated furnishing a convoy to
the Antilla? or any other ship, nor
have any orders to that effect been
issued. No word whatever has been
received as to whether warships of
other nations have been notified of
the blockade at Tampico, or what
their attitude would be toward such
a blockade. There has been no
change in the policy of the govern
ment in reference to it's desire that
the port of Tampico shall be open to
all commerce"
! AS to whether all commerce in
this instance includes contraband of
war, no official of the government
will discuss. So far as is known,
the only orders relating to Tampico
that have been issued went to Ad-
miral Badger on May IS in the form
of message informing him that
while it was not believed the Huer-
ia gunboats would return to Tampi-
co, it was deemed advisable that the
commanders of American naval YES
sells understand that the govern
ference with commerce at that port.
That the blockade decree will be
! carried out was verified yesterday
! by Admiral Badger in a report to
the navy department from Vera
Cruz. He advised that the Mexican
gunboats Zaragoza and Bravo,
which left Puerto Mexico last night,
had passed Vera Cruz and were
steaming toward Tampico. The
American cruiser Tacoma and gum
boat Sacramento are following the
Huerta ships. What the American
warships will do when the comman-
der of Huerta's ships attempts to
seize the Antilla, when she arrives
at Tampico Wednesday, no official
in Washington would say last night.
The message from Admiral Bad
ger received by the navy depart
ment yesterday was:
Sunday, June Z, 10 a. m.-Posi-
ton Of Mexican gunboats Bravo and
ZaragoZa at 9 a. m, latitude 1913,
longitude 963, headed for Tampico,
making about nine knots. Should
arrive off Panuco river about 5 a.
m. tomorrow. Tacoma and Sacra-
mento following in observation"
----------------
AS she was going down the front
porch steps at her home on Wilson
avenue this morning, Mrs. A. F.
Schultz made a misstep and fell to
the ground, spraining her left an
kle.
Little Helen Best, daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Geo. w. Best, is Ill with
the mumps.
A. ]. VanDoren Of 316 Des Moines
street had fresh green peas from his