The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-16
Grave Situation in Mexico
Brings Action After
Cabinet Meeting
REQUEST RECEIVED
FROM GENERAL BLISS
A Move to Stop Firing Across the Bor-
der-Carranza s Statement That In
tervention Would Be Considered Hos
tile Act Increases Tension.

WASHINGTON, Dee 16.-Develop- |
ments of the most serious character |
appear to be imminent in the Mexican |
situation. 1t is full of danger. Though |
the Wilson administration is exerting |
itself to the utmost to prevent a cri |
sis, conditions on the international |
border have again forced the adoption
OF strong precautionary measures. The |
situation tonight is believed to be more
serious than at any time since last
| April, when the Atlantic battleship |
| fleet was rushed to Vera Cruz.
| Orders were given last night for
sending 1900 infantrymen and artil-
| lerymen, fully equipped for the field,
as reinforcements to Gen. Tasker II.
| Bliss, who is in supreme command at
Naco, the little town that is divided
| by the international boundary line be-
tween Arizona and. Sonora. Orders
were sent to Brig Gen Thomas f. Da-
Wis to proceed at once from Texas
City, near Galveston, with the EleV-
enth, Eighteenth, and Twenty-second
Regiments of Infantry, and to report
| to Gen. Bliss at Naco with these rein
forcements. The orders to Gen. Davis
directed him to accompany each Of
these regiments of infantry with not
=
/ twelve machine guns altogether to be
added to those already at Naco, The
ttroops are to be ready for the field,
and will carry ten days rations.
! At the same time, orders were sent
to Col. Granger Adams at Fort Sill,
Okla, TO send Immediately three bat
teries of artillery from that post with
siege guns. The artillery battalion
will be composed of Companies A and
B of the Fifth Field Artillery. armed
with 47-ineh field howitzers. and Com
panv c of the Fifth Field Artillery,
armed with 4.7-inch field cannon. This
battalion Of artillery will also take
along portable searchlights
This action was decided upon at a
session of the cabinet
i 1t is believed. though it could not
be confirmed officially, that the Wilson
: administration decided upon a definite
plan of action to cure the situation at
: Naco. After the cabinet meeting it
was unofficially said that such Il plan
, of action had been adopted, but cabl-
: net officers and other officials would
: mot confirm the fact. When he left
the Whitehouse, following the cahi-
! net meeting, Secretary Garrison said
: he would have an important announce
= Iment to make later in the day regard
4 ing the situation at Naeo. The great
: lest secrecy was observed as to the
/. character of the announcement. When
' the attention of Secretary Bryan was
/ invited to the statement that Il definite
: Iplan of action had been adopted and
G that as q result of that decision Sec
o retarv of War Garrison would make an
J. announcement. the secretary of state
L refused to confirm the statements.
: The result of this action will be to
i treble the strength of the forces under
: the command of Gen. Bliss at Naco. By
: the time these reinforcements arrive
: Gen. Bliss will probably have received
detailed and explicit instructions as tC
how he is to proceed. BY then suffi
s. cient time will also have elapsed for
4 Mavtorena and Hill, the rival Mexican
4 fractional commanders at Naco, to have
g received the instructions Carranza and
le Gutierrez say they have sent, directing
all them not to fire shots over the border
J at Naeo. Refusal or inability of the re
I, spCnsible Mexican faction chieftains tC
train their weapons away from the Dor
- der. and continuance of violation OF
American neutrality, with additions tt
the casualty list, will undoubtedly b'
followed by vigorous action on the par
of the American army at Naco.
1t is not the purpose of the Wilson
Administration to take any aggressive
n action, nor the purpose or thought o.
. the Administration to invade Mexico
&c but it is believed that the Administra
- ton has decided to use the army de
Al fensivelv TO prevent more bullets fallin!
across the border. even if it is necessar,
to use American artillery.
q It will be recalled that Carranza 5 de
~ American side of th
Il, United States Government that the cas-
ualities on the American side of tn
border must stop Informed this Coy
ge eminent that use of force by the Amer
a lean Army at Naco would be considere
an unfriendlv act. If conditions a
to Naeo force the Administration to lis
ly the army in an effort to stop the rain 0
Sc. bullets over the border, it is posslbl
at that Carrauza may reply with some he:
ct tile act. In such a contingency, tn
American border patrol at Naco, sma
though efficient, would be outnumbere
*. by the combined Mexican faction;
i forces unless reinforced. These reiI
VI forcements were ordered yesterday an
their arrival will not only numerical
= increase the strength of the America
II forces to a par with the Maytorena an
II Hill forces, but will make the America
II forces superior in actual fighting powt
II and equipment. The Mexican force
II around and in Naco number about
II 900 to $500 men, 1t is understood tn;
Ii Gen. Benjamin Hill of the Carranzist
faction has a total force Of about | 81
II to $500 men in Naco, Sonora. I'll
strength CT Maytorena in Gutierr'
troops, besieging Naco, is about So
men, A great many of the latter a
Yaqui Indians. Both of the Mckee
IL forces are equipped with cannon.