The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-11
Believed Visit of Brazilian Ambasrsdcr Had to Do
 With Mediation
FOUR NEWSPAPER MEN ARE GIVEN LIBERTY
Associate Justice Lamar and F. w. Lehman Formerly Solicitor Gen eral to Represent U. s. At
 the Conference


 son received today at the White House
 Ambassador Da Gamn of BrsxiI, rank
 ing member of the south American
 mediatcrs. who trying to compose the Mexican trouble. Neither the
 White House nor the ambassador would
 make any statement as to the con ference but the receipt later of a dis ! patch from Mexico City. statipr thu,
 Foreign Minister Ruiz hnd protested to the medintors that several United
 states torpedo boats with transport and tender had landed party on Lo- bos Island. eight miles off the coast,
 and had taken the lixhthouse, was be- lieved to have been the purpose of the
 ambassadors unusual visit to the White House on sunday.
 The mediators had held an early conference previous to the ambassa- dor's call at the White House and this meeting-on Sunday--indicated devel- opments of more than ordinary inn portance. No information was obtain able from the mediators or the White House concerning Minister Ruiz's tel egr9m. But it was believed that a re- ply had been made.
 The navy department has not made public anything concerning the oper- alton of vessels about Lobos Island.
 Admiral Howard cabled yesterday to the navy department that Huerta had ordered lighthouses on the Pacific coast extinguished to impede naviga- tion by American ships.
 The same order by Huerta is report ed to have been made as to light houses on the Atlantic side, so that the reported seizure of the lighthouse on t-ohos Island might be held to be precautjonary nieasure 10 keep the lishts burning and thus protect all shipping along the east coast, where many British. French. Spanish and other foreign vessels ply.
 As such precautionary measure. the taking of the lighthouse. it is con- tended, would be without significance as an occupation or territorial acuuisi- lion Of the island, and therefore would not justify any charge of violation of armstice.
 The call of two of the mediators on the Secretary of State last night and their assembling for a sunday morn- ing meeting led to the belief that de-
 
 something more than preliminaries for the coming conference at Niagara Falls. 1t was made plain. however. after the White House conference that hothing had occurred to act as an ob- stacle to the continued progress of ne- gotiations:
 Associate Justice Joseph P Lamar of the United States supreme court and Frederick w. Lehman of St. Louis for anefiy solicitor general will represent the United States in the conference. This became known from an authori- tative source tonight.
 Correspondents Released A development of the day that served to relieve anxiety was news of the re- lease of the four newspaper corres- pondents arrested at Mexico City Walter Whiffen of the Associated Press, Richard Harding Davis of the New York Tribune, Medill Mccormick of the London Times and A. J. Sutton of the Washington Post.
 Word of the release reached the state department through the Brazilian min Mister at Mexico City and dispatches Acame also to the British, Spanish and v3razilian ambassadors. each of whom Fad acted promptly in behalf of the American newspaper men. The spanish ambassador, Senor Ri- ano. who represents Mexico in the United States, telegraphed direct to the Mexican minister of foreign affairs and received reply from Senor Ruis that the necessary steps had been taken to release the correspondents The Brazilian ambassador being one of the mediators had much influence ! 1 Infringing about the prompt release. kSir Cecil Spring Rice the British am bassador, acted through Sir Lionel Car den, who with the Brazilian minister there, was directly instrumental in bringing about the release. Dispatches to the ambassadors said Mccormick and Davis had left by ref ugee train for Vera Cruz yesterday and Whiffen and Sutton would leave to- day. Ii was said that the correspond ents had asked for permits to enter the Mexican federal lines. but without waiting to receive the permits had taken the chance of going to Mexico City.
 The dispatch to the state department added:
 Nothing extraordinary in the Amer acan colony"
 No Notable Orders Issued The war and navy departments showed more than their wonted Sunday activity but no notable orders were Issued. Secretary Garrison and Major General Wotherspoon, chief of staff, were at their desks for several hours, kconierring over precautionary military movements being matured Arrangements for transports con einue. The steamer Chippewa. of the Clyde line. at New York. today was substituted for the Dorchester of the Merchants and Miners line, which was found unsuitable.
 At the navy department much anx-s 1ety was felt oyer the reports that the Herman steamer Kron Prinzessin Ce- rilie actually had discharged her arms
 pd ammunition at Puerto Mexico. Act
 Secretary Roosevelt had called on
 miral Badger last night for informa-
 bn on the reported landing of the arms, MT. Roosevelt's only. announce- |1nent mp to ntghtfall tonight was that Admiral Badger had reported he would <make urgent inquiry" Y <
 The adjutant generai's office of the war department has ordered all retired enlisted mem which tnclufes nencom -s ~.
 fCuno1nuo1 on R0Go 1larhth