Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13

have been making the veal of the
American Navy and the prestige OF
more than one responsible indlvldual
it's especial care. One or two Mexican
machine guns ambushed on any OF tne
wharves could have Smitten scores OF
marines and sailors dead and wounoeo
in the boats before they could nave
protected themselves or been Snleloeo
by the covering guns OF the war vessels.
Our landing party-naval otncers VINO
participated have acknowledged IL 10
me-went into the port as a poker
might front his opponent with MS open
fists hanging by his sides, leaving MN
self open for a knockout nook 10 Ine
Jaw. I am merely recording the TACT,
not criticizing. So far as Fletcher was
concerned he had in good faith relied
upon the myth that the Mexicans
would not fight. which came to him
from sources which he had every rea-
son for believing reliable.
Prisoners Freed and Armed.
Mas did scurry from the city, as he
had told the consul he would. when
he assured himself that the Americans
would land. His rear guard had
scarcely marched out Of the barracks
when the Americans swarmed into the
custom house, the post office and the
railway terminal, which were strung
along the waterfront for an eighth of
a mile, and into the cable Office, a
square inland to the rear of the con-
sulate. But before he fed Mas did
this: He told his soldiers that those
who desired might remain in the city
and fight the gringoes. Several hum
dred of them did so. He caused to be
freed the prisoners in the Jail and the
guard house. Rifles and cartridges were
served out to them and to numerous
civilians. This is why the occupation
was transformed from parade into
two-day battle, causing that night the
Presidents agitation when he learned of
how things had gone wrong in Vera
Cruz and brooded over the casualty list.
Shipping at the Americans started
within few minutes after they came
ashore. Our wounded began to drop.
Here was situation that had not been
forecast nor forSeen. The Mexicans
were fighting! Despatched by hor-
rified consul, a messenger slipped out
from the city to find Mas and entreat
him to stop the Mexican fire. Mas
pleaded that the situation was beyond
his control. Our men held themselves
in check until several of them had
been killed. Then orders came from
the flagship for them to engage, and
the battle was on.
But the Americans were fighting with
one arm, for Fletcher's orders were
explicit. He was charged to confine
his offensive to a mere occupation of
the custom house, etc. He had no au-
thority to go In with everything he had
and clean up the job in a hurry, and
with few casualties on either side, which
he might easily have done on the first
day. had it been left to his discretion.
Captain Refused to withdraw.
When darkness forced a cessation of
the fighting. the Americans for their
days work had nothing to show for Ii
save nearly score of dead and hold
on the waterfront, which extended no
further than one or two squares into
the city itself. in triangle All of the
fighting on the Mexican side had been
done by snipers, with the exception
the cadets of the naval school, who.
from the building which was far beyond
the custom house to the SOUTH harassed
the Americans with damaging rifiery.
With dusk came orders from Fletcher
to Capt. Rush of the battleShip Florida.
III command OF the landing expedition,
to Withdraw his men for the night to
the railway terminal. Rush protested to
Fletcher that his men had been fighting
all day and had sustained serious losses.
that they had gained appreciate ground
and that 1t would be ridiculous for them
to relinquish what they had won and be
forced 10 retake 1t again on the NOR
row. That looked too much like a re-
treat hn trttn az
be damned If go back" he said to me.
Rush had his way.
Through the night cable and wireless
messages clicked and Sputtered between
Vera Cruz and Washington, back and
forGh. The situation was as plain as
pikestaH. We had the bear by the tail,
and we could not let 60 Washington
told Fletcher to go ahead and get
through with 1t, no matter to what ex-
tremes Of force he might have to resort
to bring the city under the flag.
Mexicans Slew Mexicans.
BY midmorning the next day the
Americans-Who then did what should
and could have been done "a hours be-
fore-had bored in with precision and
energy. and the city was theirs. A few
shells from the smaller guns aboard the
war vessels wrecked the Naval School
and caused heavy losses among the
Youngsters who were fighting from
there. Otherwise the city suffered lit
tie damage. OF the American comba-
tants ID were killed and 70 wounded
The official Mexican loss was 1876 killed
and 1875 wounded. Probably not a life
would have been lost on either side
had we gone at the job properly and
had not too much credulity been rested
upon Mas intentions Fully half of
the MeXicanS were slain by their own
people. The irresponsible criminals and
civilians whom Mas had armed hid
themselves behind roof parapets and in
windows and doorways and fired in
discriminatory at whatever human tar
gets offered themselves in the streets.
l saw this
Tampico was not occupied. In the
storm of wrath-which to the credit of
the Mexicans spent itself largely in
cursings, threats, paradeS and oratory--
that swept over Mexico with the spread
ing OF the news of what had gone on
in Vera Cruz, the American population
of Tan1pico experienced an anxious and
peril.fraught day or two while they
were being transferred Under German
auspices to ships which took them to
the United States.
Arms Landed Anyway.
We took Vera Cruz to withhold from
Huerta the war munitions aboard the
Ypiranga. That was the official gloss
ing over with which Washington finally
provided the adventure. If that was
thu Yea qnp MIA Wa tad 0Ip trina oar