New Britain herald., 1916-06-28
ROOSEVELT WANTS
 ID LEAD INVASION
Planning to Raise Force of 12,OoO
 for Mexican Service

New York, June 2S.-It has been learned that Col Roosevelt is going to ask the government for permis- sion to raise a division of volunteer soldiers for service in Mexico the minute the war is declared and call for volunteers sent out
 According to this information, which came from a reliable source and confirms rumors that have been in circulation for several days, the colonel has completed his plans for raising the division and waits only upon the calling of volunteers to make his offer to Washington. He will ask for a commission as ma jOr- gen. eral
 Col. Roosevelt has made his plans after consultation with high military authorities, and they call for a special division of 12, 900 men, consisting of four brigades-one of infantry, two of cavalry, one of field artillery, sup p1emented by aeroplanes and includ- ing engineers, signal corps and hos pital corps.
 Worked on Plan For Months.
 For months the colonel has had these plans in his head for weeks he has been working them out to the smallest details against just such an emergency as is expected now across the border, and for ten days quiet recruiting has been going on in all parts of the country by men to wh om the ex-president has entrusted this task.
 Such of the greater details Us the providing of horses have been looked after already, and a declaration of
 
 unteers will be the signal for an Of flee to be opened in or around this city for recruiting and clerical work and for division headquarters to be established, pobably in Texas, where the troops would be assembled
 All of the colonePs plans Ire de- pendent more or less upon President Wilson. His request for a commis- sion as major-genera1 commanding a volunteer division can be granted or refused in Washington, but his friends say that President Wilson would not oppose it. It was pointed out that the colonel as an officer in the army would be unable to criticise the ad- ministration.
 Col. Roosevelt's friends are in quandary as to the exact status of such a request, as to whether or not | the granting of it depends upon the l president or upon congress, and as to 1 the co1onels age, 57, being a barrier to his reentrance into the 1rr1y at the head of a body of volunteers. It has been known for a long lime l that Col. Roosevelt was anxious to get into the fray. It was known 1 weeks ago when he made the declara- l ton that if war came he and his I, 1,,, T take the field. When he was stricken | with slight attack of pleurisy less , than a fortnight ago he immediately l summoned the best medical counsel 1 he could obtain and retired to Saga more Hill for a rest cure, his chief | purpose in mind beipg to get in shape ] to lead troops into Mexico if war came.
 Has Selected His Officers. Since then he has held innumerable conferences at his home which were generally supposed to be of a political nature, but many of them had to do with nothing else except the formation of. his special division in the event of war. As a result of these conferences and as a result of the plans he has been working over for so long he is said to have listed the names of the officers he will ask the administration to give him as regimental and brigade commanders. Many of these officers will be men who have been his close friends in civil life and have discussed his plans with him.
 These men have let it be known that Colonel Roosevelt believes the organization of his division will be one of the quickest and most spectac- ular from the standpoint of efficiency that this country could expect to see. It is said that the mobilization will be accomplished in a month; that the di- vision will be put into the field with the most modern equipment; with