Mexico Missouri message., 1914-05-21
WAR PLANS READY
COMPLETE SCHEME OF INVASION
OF MEXICO WAS PREPARED
BY WAR COLLEGE.
LIKE SCOTS AND TAYL0R'S
Experienced officers Have Drawn UP
Details Of Operations for Use In
Armed Conflict with Any
Nation on Earth.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

wars alarm was N"aIu lut lhsLhl'
query was. how well prepared is the
United state for evCntualiuesH' In
a previous dispatch 80 was told how
the quartcrmastor's department was
ready 20 feed aud clOthe three big
armies and that the chances were
there would be- no repetition OF the
scandal OF preparedness which WAS
an afiliction Of the Spanish war days.
An army must be fed clothed and
armed, but there are other things
necessary for proper preparation TOT
tbe war. In the city OF Washington
there is a war college. an army insu-
tuition in which officers OF advanced
rank go 10 school again" II Is one
of the duties OF the war college 10
Btudy stragedy and 70 lay plans for
possible conflict with any nation on
earth.
When the FIRST sign came that war
with Mexico was possible the war col
1ege gave 10 the authorities a com
pHete plan for the invasion by armed
forces Of tho Spanish-American coun.
try. In fact Il gave several plans,
each one OF which was intended 10
meet certain contingencies OF cam.
ipaigning Long before the feet was
sent to Vera Cruz the army men had
taken a thought on the possibility
that Huerta, Carranza and villa
might join forces against the United
States One plan Of campaign. the
most comprehensive one, was pre-
pared TO meet just such a condition.
Another plan took cognizance OF the
possibility or probability that Car
rama and villa would not resent an
invasion OF Mexico II the object Of
the invaders was to drive Huerta
from the capital and to set up a con.
sututional government. This plan Of
campaign was less elaborate than the
other, but It was based on the best
thought which some thirty or forty
army officers OF long service could
bring to bear on the subject
Much Like scott's Plans.
1t may seem curious thing, but
the plans for campaigning in Mexico
In a general way were those which
were adopted by Scott and by Taylor
In the Mexican war Of the late torties.
This is the more peculiar perhaps be-
cause the entire system OF fighting
has changed since the Scott days. the
greatest change having come within
the last twenty years. Army men say
that General Scott was a fine strate-
gist and that moreover he was an
adept at discovering the lines OF
least resistance for an effective cam
paign.
An army going from Vera Cruz to
Mexico City today would follow the
line OF march that Scott took. No
better route has been found notwith-
standing the fact that modern weap-
ons and the open order method Of
fighting change tactics as necessarily
as they must change some forms OF
strategy.
II is understood that the plans which
the war colleges prepared for trouble
IN Mexico also include a scheme for
q northern campaign much Ike that
which was put into operation By Cen
eral Taylor. who fought so successful
" against the Mexicans and who won
one battle with an army Of 5000 men
pitted against an army Of 10000 men
under the greatest military leader, per
haps. that Mexico ever produced.