Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-10
Will RETURN FIRE
Of mexican ARMY
MEXICAN BULLETS MUST
STAY ON THEIR OWN
SIDE.
IS READY
viii Shell Mexican Positions If
They Continue to Fire
Across the Border

posite Naco, Arizona, do not cease mr.
ing into American territory the three
batteries of field artillery sent to the
international line by President Will
son and Secretary Garrison will be or
dered to return the fire.
This is the determination Of the
United states government, it became
known tonight, after a fun iscussion
Of the question by president wilson
with his cabinet yesterday.
No specific orders have been glNeh'
as yet to Brigadier General Iaskel
4. Bliss, who was directed to pro-
coed to NaCO with the field artillery,
but while he is en- route there Of
fiCials expect to receive an answer t.
the sharp warning which has peeh
given TO General Maytorcna, COM
iluuGing the villa troops, and Gth-
eral Hin OF the Carranza forces, that
lullc,s ana shells must not ran on
American soil. Similar warning mas
been communicated to General car
rama and General villa ihfouBh
American consular agents.
No Aggression Planned.
No act of "aggreasiou' IS contcm-
plated as was explained in a state
mcnt issued by the house today but
officials draw distinction between
aggressive and defensive action. Fol
the / troops Of cavalry ana three
batteries of field artillery to cross
the Mexican line or open fire nrst
would constitute an act OF aggression,
but to remain on American soil ana
Icturn the fire of the McXicans is, in
the opinion of high officials, a meas
ure of defense fully justified under
the circumstances and not an act OF
war or invasion,
Although II is not generally known,
Erigadier General Hugh scott, now
chief of staff of the army, when IN
command at I'll PaSo, Texas, year
ago, placed his artillery In position
along the Rio Grande and delivered
the same warning, which was needed.
Won't Injnre Town.
II was explained at the war de-
partMent that the range of the artil-
lery ordered to NaCO Is from five to
six miles. Shells could be sent over
the Mexican town, without injuring
the residents, into the lines of the
Me ican faction which insisted on
firing into American territory. This
Is the plan Of officials, should warn
ings prove futile.
The general expectation, however
is that no such contingency will arise
because the Mexican chiefs them
selves recognize that foreign compli-
cations would be a serious domestic
liability to whichever faction was
shown to be responsible for them.
The action of the Washington gov
crnment constitutes a precedent for
the future and was taken to mean
that firing into American territory
from any point along the border
would be met by similar steps. Many
cl,grams had come from Governor
Hunt Of Arizona and residents of
Naco. telling Of the injuries and
deaths resulting from stray bullets
and at Yesterdays cabinet meeting,
where the kilograms were discussed,
it was understood tnat the detcrmina-
tion to put an end to such occurrences
was cmphatically expressed
Challenges tn n Rattle
,e, -, C. o..
It'''aeI .upa. an ' ,',.'I., ~
toni@bi Shar,inr tbe M,vt"rena forcos
besicg'ng Naco with responsibility for
the firing across the border and chal-
lcnging Governor Maytorcna, on be-
half of General Hill, the Carranza
commander, to withdraw into the in
terror of Mexico for a pitched battle.
He made public the following tele-
gram from General Hin:
Il again call your attention to the
convenience OF energctically protest
ing to the American government
/ against the irritating discrimination
Of the military authorities at Naco,
| Arizona, whose good graces have been
won by the Maytorenistas.
Bullets from our enemy are con-
stantly causing damage to the Amcri-
| can town, but we are held responsible
/ for it. due to the above mentioned
discrimination.
THE families of our chiefs and Of
/ ficers any many of our soldiers. under
the shelter of the neutrality laws, are
/ living in Naco. Arizona. Under these
| circumstances. you can see how rea-
sonable 1t is for us to avoid firing to-
wards the United States"
Dispatches telling OF conditions in
1