The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-23
DRASTIC ACTION
is DEMANDED
lContinued irOn page ID

is DEMANDED
Continued frUn page IL
ately admitted to the kaiser's repre-
sentative with whom he Is very cor
dial that the time had arrived for self
protection. The sending OF guard OF
picked marines to protect John Lind
in Vera Cruz was simply the changing
of special guard of blue jackets Tor
the men who, in our service, are usual
ly designated as land police" and has
no especial significance according to
officials here.
j Suppressed activity is very much In
evidence at army and navy headquar-
tiers. The war maps are all ready for
use. The mobilization orders await
signature. The navy yards on the
west and east coasts are ready for
anything. The distinct elements OF
danger today confronting President
Wilson are:
/ That the British government hand
will be played by public opinion and
COMPEL demand that this government
tavenge Benton's Staying.
That additional foreigners may sui
fer at the hands Of Villa who is ad-
lmittedly drunk with power.
i That either Villa or Huerta may
permit massacre of foreigners in
the north or south of Mexico. So far
las Villa is concerned, military experts
here are today insistent that he has
been overrated as military COM
mander. The fact that he has not
made a forward move in weeks and
that although he has boasted that
Torreon and Tampico were as good
as taken they are still held by
Huerta's men, has led many officials
here to question his courage. They
say that he apparently wants an ACE
/ in the hole" before assuming the Of
lfensive and is loath to jeopardize his
Reputation as strategist by attacking a
fortified position armed with good
artillery and expert gunners.
Preparing for War;
/ WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-Every-
thing possible in the way of prepare
ton for intervention in Mexico has
been done by both branches OF the
service 1t was learned here today and
no farmer is more familiar with the
| path from his house to his barn than
are the military officers Of the war
college with the principal routes IN
Mexico. principally those to Mexico
/ city.
The condition OF all the railways OF
that country, the train schedules, num-
bers Of engines and cars, the water
supply, and the general topography,
have all been gone over infinitely.
Mere maps and figures are not de-
pended upon and thousands Of photo
graphs have been taken by secret
agents even including long strings Of
moving picture film.
| The photographs cover all OF the
border line between this country and
Mexico, as we'll as mountain passes,
bridges, plateaus and other strategic
points. Copies of these have been
furnished the principal army and navy
| officers.
Deliberate Murder.
LONDON. Feb. 23.-That William
8. Benton, a British subject was de-
liberatsay murdered by General Pan
cho Villa and that Villas story OF q
court martial, ordering his death, was
only an excuse, is the general BELIEF
of the British government today
While numerous lengthy cipher
| dispatches were exchanged during the
night between the foreign office ana
Sir Cecil SpringRice, British ambas-
sador at Washington, the British
newspapers today were unanimous in
demanding that the United States in
tervene in Mexico or abrogate the
Monroe doctrine. The afternoon news
papers were more radical than the
morning journals. They fatty stated
that they believed intervention In
Mexico to be imperative.
Though no officials OF the foreign
office would comment, 1t was learned
that the government puts no credence
in any of the stories supposedly ex-
planning the death of Benton and In
tends to learn the true facts of the
/ matter. through the state department
If possible, OF by its owl. Efforts III
necessary
Sir Edward Grey, foreign secretary
was expected to make a speech IN the
house Of commons this afternoon on
the governments attitude I'm the Mex
lean situation. A member OF the com
mons last week formally announced
that he would interrogate the foreign
secretary today on Mexico and since
then Benton;s death and the disap-
pearance of two other Englishmen
from Juarez, has excited the British
public to high pitch In the excite
ment the utterancss OF Sir Edward
Grey took on grave Significance anc
were eagerly awaited.