Evening star., 1916-07-04

Secretary Lansing Is Gratified.
The Mexican government states that
it has accepted in principle suggestions
of mediation from other American re-
publics and invites the United States
likewise to record itself. 1t adds, how
ever, that direct negotiations between
the two governments concerned should
bring more satisfactory results than
mediation
Secretary Lansing was told informal
ly of the arrival of the note and OF
what was understood to be its contents
He seemed highly gratihed, put "ouIo
not comment pending its delivery TO
him.
Mr. Arredondo left the embassy soon
after the note arrived to spend the
Independence day holiday at a summer
resort An embassy employe had been
directed to give out such information
as VI was desired to make public be-
fore the ambassador could call at the
State Department.
Plans for Border Patrol-s
Following the changes in the high
army commands along the Mexican
border. announced in The Star yester-
day, it was said at the War Depart
meat that Mai. Gen. Funston was re-
lieved from responsibility for the en-
tire border upon his own recommends
tion. Handling a border patrol of l,Se0
miles has been too much for one gen.
eral and staff
The War Department measures for
new distribution of the border patrol
clearly indicated that months of active
service along the frontier await the
Thousands of national guardsmen gath
erinz in the south from all parts OF the
country.
Under the new plan the 1,soo-mile
frontier will be divided so that the
Southern and Western military depart
rnents will take care of the eastern and
western extremities of the line, re-
spectively. Cen Funston VIII continue
in command of the Southern Depart
mon, while Mai Gen. J. Franklin Bell,
commanding the Western Department,
will transfer his headquarters from
San Francisco to Douglas. Ariz, to be
in direct touch with his share OF the
border work
Post Offered Gen. Pershing.
The n,idsection of the border line
Psso and a point nea Douglas ant
reaching north%arn tt - ,oiorau'
state line, will be known hereafter a.
the Department of New Mexico. Tn
der It's Jurisdiction will fall the expe
dition into Mexico. based at Columbus
n NJ, and Brig. Gen. John j. Per
shinK, now commanding the expedi
tionary force has been offered the pos
of department commander.
A message went to Gen Pershlnt
last night asking IL he desired to as
sumo the duties of department chief II
addition to those which now fall L
him as commander in the field. The ex
pedttion is believed to have about com
pleted the movement begun ten days o
more ago when Gen. Pershing, for stra
teEic reasons, ordered the lines draw
in closer to the border. The War De
partment has no definite information
as to the exact whereabouts of tn
various camps. but II is thought tn
most advanced patrols now are With
$50 miles of the border
II 10 possible that Gen. Pershing vii
sec difficulties in the way of combinin
command Of the new department an
of the expeditionary force under on
head.
FL Paso Is Suggested.
In that case there are indication
that he would be expected to relin
auish direct command of the expeditio
and establish his headquarters at som
point on the border where he could Civ
PERSONAL attention TO its needs and ais
supervise the disposition and trainin
of the thousands of national guards
men soon to be added to the portion
the line within the new department
ThA War Department has suggests