The Washington times., 1914-04-24

command of his superior, sent by sea
to attack Vera Cruz
''On February % and % Santa Ana
attacked him, with four times his
numbers, where he lay at defense
on the broken plain of Buena Vista,
thinking to crush him while he was
weak, and was repulsed- The Amer
leans were no longer raw militia.
men and officers alike. as they had
been in the eXtemporiZed armies of
1872. Though they were for the most
part volunteers, their officers We're
professionals, and they were drilled
and handled with a skill and thor
oughness that made veterans Of
them with q single battle.
Put To Full Test.
Their steadiness and prowess
were put to full test with General
Scott in the south. They had not
only to take Vera Cruz by set siege
March 9-29, 1S4O, in order to make
good their landing. but had also to
scale the huge escarpments of the
vast tableland upon which the Mex
lean capital lay, 200 miles away, more
than 1000 feet above the sea, and
to make their way across the bro
ken. hilly plains beyond. fighting
everywhere as they went against
an enemy who outnumbered them
and was secure against surprise
within safe inner lines of communi-
cation.
And yet from the carrying of the
pass at Cerro Gordo april IS, 1fD
to the storming of the high fortress
Of Chapultepec (Septemper l3), there
was no pause or miscarriage in their
victories.
The City of Mexico lay admidst
guarding fortresses and was set
about by morasses crossed only by
narrow causeways, but the Ameri-
leans moved everywhere with the
busInesslike certainty and precision
of men we'll handled, and their vol
unteer ranks seemed less in need or
officers than other armies d d. In
dividual pluck and dash and re-
source showed in all they d d. They
fought men as brave as themselves:
a subtle, spirited race, tenacious IL
the last of all that 1t could hold.
they fought also against odds and
moved everywhere against fortified
places: but they won, undaunted, ct
every onset. BY September Il they
We're in complete and formal pos
session OF the enemy's capital and
Mexico was in their hands, within
but little more than six months Of
their landing.
U. S. Seizes Territory.
Meanwhile the Government at
Washington had broaGened the scope
and meaning OF the war beyond all
expectations. During the summer of
1916 and the winter of 1S46-lS47 1t had
seized not merely the disputed terri
tory which Texas claimed. but also
the whole country of She Pacific
slope beyond. from oregon to the
ella river, to which the United States
could have no conceivable right eX-
cent that of conquest. The thing was
easily accomplished. A fleet under
Commodores Sloat and Stockton and
a few troops here and there. under
Colonel Kearney and Captain FIRE.
mont, moved almost as they pleased.
and territory of 100000 square miles
was added to the United States.
THE war, with all its inaXrusable
aggression and fine fighting. was
brought to it's formal close by
treaty signed at Guade1ouDe. Hidal-
go, on February 2, 1S4S by which
Mexico recognized tie Rio Grande
rs the southwestern boundary line OF
Texas and coded New Mexico end
California. OF watch the United
States had taken possession by force
OF arms. For this territory, seized
and ceded. the United States agreed
to pay Mexico SIS. 900. eo0."