The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-06-08
HOW VERA CRUZ
WAS OCCUPIED
MADE PUBLIC
THRILLING ACCOUNT OF THE
DARING VENTURE
First Report Of the Navy's Opera
tons There Was Issued by
the Navy Today
(By Associated Press. J

| y uhC q INCdl fAu
fmiral Fletcher's own story of the oc
cupation of Vera Cruz is told in tn
first detailed report Of the nayys op
erations on the east coast Of Mexico
made public today by the navy de
|partment. The report tells of Ad
miral Fletcher's receipt of the his
toric cablegram early in the morn
ing of April q, ordering him t
seize the Vera Cruz customs house
of the swift descent of marines anC
! blueackets from the American war
ships upon the port and the bloody
fighting that occurred when they
met with resistance from the Mex.
lean federal soldiers and regulars.
The admiral refers particularly te
the work of the cruiser Prairie
Chester and San Francisco, which
moored inside the breakwater, COW
cred successive landings Of marines
and bluejackets,
'Iniative and clear Judgment was
required on the part Of the com
manding officers" says the report,
"and the results showed in strik-
ing manner the efficiency of the
ships under their commands. . The
three vessels were under charge of
Commanders Moffett, Stickney and
Harrison
The report in part follows:
When the cablegram of s a. M Z,
April 2 to seize the custom house
was received, the following officers
were in my cabin:
Capt. w. R. Rush, U. S. navy,
commanding the naval brigade.
Capt II. Mel p. IIuse, u. S.
navy, chief of staff.
Commander II. o. SticXney, U.
S. navy, commanding Prairie.
"Lieutenant-Colon w. G.. Ne
vile, U. S. M. c., commanding Ma
rine regiment.
"They had been called on board
to be Informed Of the situation and
to assure me that the plans previous
ly prepared for the employment of
the naval forces against Vera Cruz
were understood by them, and that
they were prepared to carry them
out. The method OF procedure
adopted was to land marines from
the Prairie, Florida and Utah, and
he seaman battalion from the Flor
ida, to seize the custom house, rail
way terminal and cable Office. The
seaman battalion OF the Utah was
leld on board awaiting news of the
Ypiranga,'
Commander Stickney and Lieu
enant Colonel Neville returned to
he Prairie and at a. m. Com |
nander Stickney went ashore and |
personally notified the American
can consul that we would land to |
axe charge of the custom house, di-
ected him to notify all foreign con-
uls, and to send all foreigners
board the ward liner Mexico, which
vas at Pier No and the Esperan-
a, then moored in the harbor. Gen
raj Mass, the Mexican military
was notified by tele-
hone from that the consulate that
re would land at once to take charge
the custom house and he was Il
rged to offer no resistance but to
'ithdraw in order to avoid useless
,ss of life and property of the peo-
lie of Vera Cruz.
"At $40 a. m. an officer from the Z
rairie boarded the foreign men-of- .
ar in the harbor Carlos V Span :
HI and Essex tBritish) and noti- ]
I'd them of our intended action. +
IAN officer from the Prairie visit f
the Fort of San Juan d. Ulloa. in .
rmed the commander of the port j
at we would seize the custom I
'use, and that any aggressive move | S
his part would be Immediately q
llowed by our opening fire with S
,avy guns on the fort. The COM 4
ander of the fort said that he un- @
rstood the situation, but If we op- 5
ed fire he would return it. He had Y
armed guard of 100 regular troops a
no had charge or the prisoners. "
The ward liner Mexico, with the {
reigners on board, pulled away t
om Pier No. 4 and anchored in the e
ter harbor. Commander Cone of