The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-08-19
]. S. WARsRIPs TO
EGUARD VERA CRUZ
Washington Fears Anti-Foreign
Outbreaks.
ANOTHER CLASH ON LINE
Four American Soldiers Rout Thirty
Mexlcans Who Fired Across Rio
Grande--No Casualties
Reported.


Washington, Aug. 1.-THE navy de.
partment sent rush orders by wireless
to the battleships Louisiana and New
Hampshire to proceed at once to Vera
Cruz. The battleships sailed from
Newport, R. l., for southern waters
several days ago, on receipt of news
that there had been an antiforeign
demonstration in Vera Cruz. 1t was
then intended they should go to Guanta.
namo, Cuba, where they would be
within easy reach if their services
were needed.
Outbreak ls Feared by U. S.
The action of the department was
taken on the receipt of dispatches that
the situation in Vera Cruz was unsat-
isfactory. The department was in
formed that although the city appears
quiet on the surface, there is much
antiforeign. sentiment, with the con-
slant possibility that an outbreak will
occur.
The warships are commanded by
Rear Admiral Walter Mclean, com.
mander of the fourth battleship divt
sion. Another vessel of this division,
the battleship Connecticut, is now in
Haiti.
The official reason for the orders to
the Louisiana and New Hampshire is
that they are to take the place of the
tgunboats Sacramento and Marietta.
6attIeships Due on Wednesday.
The battleships are due at Vera
Cruz on Wednesday.
The state department is now await,
ing replies to the appeal of the Pan
American conference to the Mexican
leaders to establish peace in the re-
public. So far it has had no official
word that the appeal has been re-
Iceived by the chiefs of the principal
factions. The only word received up
to late hour was that the appeal had
been distributed to the military lead
iers and prominent citizens in the
!Ciudad Porfirio Diaz and Monterey
districts.
! Funston Tells Of Clash on Border.
General Funston, in command on the
border, wired to the war department
the details of a battle between four
American soldiers and about thirty
'RfoNtodtrs- at rrugressa rerry on the
Rio Grande, eight miles from Mer-
Cedes. No one was injured. The
Americans were examining a wagon
train when the MeXiCans, across the
river, opened fire on them. The sol
.diers returned the fire and drove the
.MeXicans away. General Funston
added that he was strengthening his
patrols all along the river.
Entire Regiment to Brownsville.
General Funston reported also that
he had moved the entire Twenty-sixth
regiment of infantry from Texas City
to Brownsville, Tex, where the citi-
zens were in fear of an invasion by
Mexican forces. Each man is armed
with 500 rounds of ammunition.
The war department announced that
it is sending two aeroplanes from Fort
Sill, Okla, to Brownsville. These aero
planes will be used for scouting pur-
poses. and 1t is expected they will rem
der important service in locating
bands of Mexicans attempting to cross
the border.
Americans Face Starvation.
The state department received dis
patch from Mexico City that 400 Amer
Eicans there were in danger of starva-
ton, and that 120 of them had asked
for assistance to leave the country.
Their plight was so serious that they
were willing to abandon their prop.
Ierty to get away. Secretary of State
Lansing held a conference with Presi
dent Wilson, as a result of which in.
structions were sent to Consul Sill
man at Vera Cruz to take the matter
up with Carranza and insist that food
stuffs be given transportation to the
capital. An agent of the consul will
Ebe sent with the shipments to dis
tribute the food to the Americans.
Villa Troops Revolt; Durango Falls.
The state department also received
n dispatch that the Villa troops in
Durango had revolted and that the
city had fallen. This was later denied,
and in a dispatch to the department,
the consul reported that the city was
captured by the Carranza forces after
"a hours fighting end that the Villa
troops had retreated toward Torreon.
I The Villa agency here gave out a
statement denying that the Villa garri-
son at Chihuahua City had revolted.
It described the report as evidence of
renewed activity on the part of the
,Carranzistas designing to create mis-
conceptions Of the true situation in
Mexico" Ia,
J. = d'Ae-