The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-21
United Press Dispatch Gets by the
Censor and Reports First
Troops to
Land.
aBy William G. Shepherd, United
Press staff Correspondent
MEXICO CITY, April I'll
American troops have entered
Mexico at Vera Cruz.

The above message In code was re-
ceived at the New York office Of the
United Press at 3:1o this afternoon.
strict.st censorship had been In Of
feet all day. Messages fiIed from
New York to either Mexico City or
Vera Cruz were held up at Vera Cruz
II they contained any reference 70 the
critical situation at Vera Cruz.
Efforts to inform correspondents
in Vera Cruz and Mexico City regard
Ing the determination Of the govern
ment at Washington to prevent the
landing of arms and ammunition for
Huerta were futile.
The code messages sent by shep.
herd was the first news received from
the scene of action and was necessar-
lily brief. Though it was obviously
-imPossihis for shina TO get any details
past the censor, It was assumed that
Rear Admiral Fletcher had acted upon
carte blanche orders sent him earIy
today by Secretary Daniels.
The department had Informed him
to take whatever steps were neces-
sary to prevent the landing Of arms
and ammunition expected at Vera
Cruz on German steamer. Under
the clrcumsta tances the obvious meth
ed was for Fletcher to land marines
and take charge Of the custom house.
Has Not Hcard-Yet.
WASHINGTON, April 21-Informed
this afternoon of the United Press
code dispatch from Mexico City, Sec
retary of the Navy Daniels remarked
significantly: We have no informa-
ton at the department-yet. Please
let me have every line you get"
Not an Act Of War.
WASHINGTON, April 21-Explain-
ing his statement regarding the oc-
of Vera Cruz, Senator Shive-
ly said: Haste was necessary be-
cause of the approach Of the large
of arms and ammunition.
We would have been placed in a rid
iculous position had we permitted
fifteen million rounds OF ammunition
and hundreds of pieces Of field artil-
lery to have gone through our lines
Of battleships with the tremendous
danger that they would be used in fir
ing on American troops.
THE seizure of Vera Cruz, the sea-
port of the city of Mexico where the
headquarters of the Huerta govern
ment is located, Is most important
and Is far more important than would
have been the seizure Of Tampico.
There was a rumor that Huertistas
intended destroying the railway from
Mexico City to Vera Cruz but I do
not see what they would have gained
by it other than possibly have made
passage of our troops from Vera Cruz
to Mexico City little more difficult.
I want particularly to emphasize the
fact that the seizure Of Vera Cruz is
not an act of war. 1t is an act of re-
prisal OF course, should the desire
exist in the minds OF Mexicans, they
can construe It as an act Of war but
then they could select any act Of ours
that they might select and declare it
constitutes an act Of war. If they are
itching for battle we might as we'll
know 1t now as little later for they
would certainly force US to fight
them"
Confirmed by shtveIy.
WASHINGTON, April 21.-Confir-
nation of the United Press Mexico
City dispatch that American troops
had landed at Vera Cruz was made
late this afternoon by Senator Shiv-
ely, acting chairman of the foreign
relations committee who asserted he
had just been informed of 1t. He re-