The Sentinel=record., 1914-05-21
NAVY DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDER ING REDUCING FLEET IN THE
 MEXICAN WATERS.
NEWS OF STILLMAN LACKING
Federal Officials Are Threatening to Transfer the oil Leases of Ameri cans to the British and Dutch oil Men.

Washington, May 20-The general slackening of tension in the Mexican situation resulted today ia the con- sideration at the navy department of plans to withdraw part of the feet on the east coast of Mexico. Acting Secretary Roosevelt said ne hoped within week to have four battleships five destroyers and tender on the way north
 Another important development of the day was a conference called hy Secretary Bryan with British Ambas- sador Sprin2-Rice and Minister Van Rappard of the Netherlands to con slider conditions in the Tampico oil fields Protests it was reported, had been received from oil operators that federal officials had negotiated trans fers of the American leases to British and Dutch oil men.
 Similar protests that Dutch and British holders might suffer since the cOnstitutionalists assumed control fol- lowed An understanding was reach ed that transfers made during the siege of Tampico would not be recog- nized.
 Secretary Bryan said the state de- partment had no advices of any efforts to obtain information as to the fate of Consul J. R. Silliman at Saltillo.
 "We now are seeking information as to Sillimaa from sources other than through Mexico City," said Sec retary Bryan.
 No further official information was forthcoming in the case of Private Samuel Parks The state department is still without reply to the note in which it demanded information about Parks and characterized his reported execution as "a hostile and unfriendly act
 The war department, however, re- ceived a copy of an affidavit made by IA. w. Band, ia which he repeated q story told him by an alleged eye-wit- ness of Parks death. The affidavit sets forth that Parks was shot to death by firing squad on order of a Mexican commander Bland said the name of the eye witness must not be revealed because "he would be killed if it were known he had given the in formation
 Assurances that the family of T !. Smith of Tonola. Mexico, is safe under the protection of British and Brazilian diplomatic officers and that every ef- fort is being made to obtain the re- lease from Imprisonment of Smith | himself. were received by Secretary Bryan from the Brazilian minister in Mexico City The dispatch stated that ] it was not known that any member Of the family except Smith himself had ever been in jail. According to pre- vious state department advices, Smith ! and his family were imprisoned by Mexican authorities at Tonola, charg- ed with shooting three rurales who at tempted to enter their homes.
 Constitutiona'ists who have occu-
 pied San Bias, on the west coast of
 Mexico. have enforced order and have guaranteed protection to foreigners, according to a report from Rear Ad-
 miral Howard
 'It is currently reported said a
 statement from the department, "that
 large numbers of federals are desert
 ing to the constitutionalists in the
 Tepic district The embargo on ] American shipping has been lifted in other respects conditions are re-
 ported as unchanged on the Pacific
 coast
 Admiral Howard reports that no information has been received of the IGDoyle family and that most of the em- Ip'oyes of the Tehauntepec railroad lleft via the east coast"
 Admiral Howard also announced
 that the Nero arrived at Mazatlan and
 the destroyer Hull after touching at IGuaymas cleared for LaPaz.