Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-21
VAST ARMY REQUIRED TO RE.
STORE PEACE AND STABLE
GOVERNMENT.
UNITED STATES OFFICIALS
HAVE PLANS WELL IN HAND
Have Been Working in Secret During
Many Months to Meet Conditions
Which Now Has Risen-Must CARR.
son Many Cities and Engage in Hard
Fighting If Mexicans Combine.
Especial Correspondence. ]

Washington, April 21.-It. will take
$4,000 men to conquer Mexico and re-
store peace, order and stable govern
ment there. if the estimates of the
ablest officers of the war department
are correct
Thls. moreover, is a conservative
estimate. Figures of some of the gen
eral staff officers run much higher than
thls. The estimate of 100000 men,
therefore. may well be proven by events
to be too low. Furthermore, the ex-
pense involved will be enormous. IN
less Uncle sam grabs a piece of terri
tory as part of the operation it will
be losing proposition financially.
Whether he will do SO or not is con-
1ectured, but it is as plain as day that
II this country really intervenes in
Mexico there will be strong sentiment
1or the annexation of a part of Mexico
before the difficulty is over.
United States Is Prepared.
Few civilians have the slightest con-
ceptlon what the officers of the gen
eral staff have done in the way of
figuring out the things to be done in
case Of campaigning in Mexico. But
some additional details as to how far
the general staff has gone got out to-
DAY. Tney are worth bearing in mind
whether Huerta salutes or whether he
doesn't
The army operations In case of war
with Mexico. or. rather, armed inter-
vent1on in Mexico will consist of two
almost distinct parts. These will be,
first, the actual campaigning, involving
the capture of Mexico City and taking
possession of the country, and, second,
the garrisoning of the country and the
restoration of order to the end that the
| Mexican people may be enabled to
establish stable government Unless
this country should decide to annex
| Mexico. or part of it, it will be some
thing like the process in Cuba, tho on
a larger scale.
Must Garrison Cities.
Army officers say garrisons Of con-
siderable size will have to be estab-
| lished in every city of importance. The
| forces in each center will have to be big
enough to overawe either bandits or
disaffected parts Of the population In
their vicinity. This will require many
| men.
The big feature of the campaign a,
! the outset. unless there is simply a
blockade or seizure of ports temper
arily, will be the movement on Mexico
City. 1t is calculated there will be some
stiff fighting on this expedition. Not
less than 10000 to $4,000 men will be
required. The campaign in the north
| can probably be carried on with 10000
| to $4,000 troops actually in the field.
Hard Fighting Expected.
Some hard fighting is expected II
l is init Of oil 10
ments against Americans. But the in.
| tention is that it shall not last long
| Then. the country is to be divided into
districts. garrisons distributed, and the
constructive work of restoring order t.
be undertaken. In this process. Their.
will be much hard work. Much fighting
| of guerilla sort will be required anc
many more troops needed than for the
actual conquest of the Mexican armies
The figures of the army men will, M
doubt, be secuted by some as too large
But it may be recalled that Genera
+, Sherman, at the outbreak of the civil
| war. got himself called a lunatic fo
estimating that it would take 100000
men to subdue the confederacy. HI
was laughed at on every hand.
No Similar Conditions.
The Mexican proposition, from
military standpoint, will be unlike any
thing this government has ever at
tempted. In a general way. Cuba AM
the Philippines required much the sam
process which will be required in Mex
leo. But the scope of territory II
Mexico is vast and when it comes t
garrisoning and tranquilizing an empir
it is no childs play. The army men sa
it will be a case of much work, heart
breaking work. and little glory. Still
they would like to try their hand at II