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


the Ypiranga and her cargo. Fletcher
had conferred with our consular ON
Gals ashore and admitted them into
the secret of what might be done.
When. on the night of April 20, he
received orders to 60 in the next morn
ing he had two battleships. several
smaller war vessels and plenty of
marines and sailors to do the job on
a fighting basis. So far as that went
he could have knocked the town into
rubbish heap with his big guns in
half an hour. He could have used
even milder but equally effective meth
DDS. Ten or a dozen shells from the
turretS of his ships hurting over the
low rooftops of the town and burying
themselves harmlessly in the unpopu-
lated sand wastes inland, with their
terrifying shrek and defamation. would
have cared the fight out Of every
soldier and armed civilian in Vera
Cruz.
Washington Thought 1t Easy.
But Washington had provided per-
manent lodgment in its official head to
a conviction that the Navy would not
have to pull trigger to gain the port
and that the occupation would be mere
ly pro-forma affair of setting a few
men on the beach and hosting our nag.
Unquestionably this notion was partly
born of our experiences with the nom
resistant attitude of the peoples and
armies of other and smaller, Latin
American republics into which we had
previously thrown Marines Another
factor was the unreliable intelligence
service supplied from sources outside
the Navy and Army. The responsibility
for this rested upon one man, whom it
Is not necessary to name here.
washington had clear mental pic
ture of Vera Cruz, in a hands-up pos
ture unoer the menacing landward
pointing muzzles of the 16-inch guns of
our battleShips. resignedly permitting
our men to master the custom house
and the wharves. to which detectives,
the occupation was originally intended
to be limited.
Fletcher Obeyed Orders.
This being Washington's will and pre-
conception, 1t was not Fletcher's part
to reason why or to press whatever
doubts he may have entertained as to
the soundneSs of the program, but to
obey orders. He had done his best to
feel out the ground and to ascertain
what would be the attitude of the
Huerta garrison, If the landing should
take place. There we're between $500
and 1000 troops in Vera Cruz. COM
manded by brother-in-law of Huerta,
Gen. Joaquin Mas. The American
consul and Mas were on terms. Mas,
who was thoroughly alive to the po-
tentialities of the Tampico embroglio,
unless Washington and Huerta should
come TO an amicable adjustment, dis
cussed the possibilities confidentially
with his friend, the American consul.
To him Mas opened his heart, some
thing after this fashion:
II am not fool enough to think that
could hold Vera Cruz against the
Americans. I know what those guns
on your battleships can do. They would
blow the city to pieces in an hour.
do not care to assume the responsibility
for anything of that sort. If the
Americanos land here, for the protec-
ton of the lives of the people and to
save the city from damage, should
withdraw my troops and let them come
in peaceably. I might make feint at
resistance, but what would be the use?
Later should take such measures as
might be ordered to by Mexico City, &C
cording to my ability and Judgment"
Americans Watched Landing.
That had a, reasonable sound. espe-
cially as Mas expressed thought ran
with the wish and belief of the consul.
So Mas words were confidentially
passed en- by the consul to the Depart
ment Of State and to Fletcher. They
went far, very far, to Solidify official
belief in Washington that there would
be no fighting in Vera Cruz. Fletcher.
in his subsequent actions, proceeded
upon this theory.
Through no fault or lapse of Fetch
er's, or discredit to the morale or the
elan Of the Navy forces engaged in the
affair, the manner of the landing and
the seizure of the city provided those
who witnessed it with an exhibition of
muddling-to designate it by no harsher
term-that aStounded and perpleXed
them.
watched the Americans come ashore
and the fight that followed. Word was
circulated about the city from the
American consulate early on the morn
ing of the 2lst that our forces would
land as soon as the American civilians
in the city, especially the women and
children, could be gotten aboard
steamship which was in the harbor.
To assemble on the vessel those who
elected to go there required two hours
or longer. The prospect Of fighting
as an accompaniment to the landing
was regarded as such remote con-
tingency by most of us that compare
lively few of the Americans went
aboard the ship. American-like, they
preferred to stay ashore and see the
fun. The information Of the landing
was in general received with incredu-
lily. regardless Of its official origin, for
hitherto no one had given thought to
the possibility that Vera Cruz would
be invaded. The storm was expected to
break, If it did break, at Tampico.
Men Thought It Practical.
1t was nearing o'clock when the
first attachments of the landing party,
numbering not more than 200 men,
dropped into boats from the war ves-
and headed for the harbor. AS the
power launches and the boats which
they towed in long strings were close
to the narrow passage into the inner
harbor between the ancient fortress Of
San Juan de Ulua and the principal
wharf, they were Signaled to return to
the ships. They went back and their
companies remained in the water while
flag signals were exchanged between the
consulate, which fronted, so they told
me afterward. not even the officers in
that landing was contemplated. They
thought that the boats had been
manned, with the men in full fighting
equipment, solely for practice.
Come ahead. All clear" wigwagged
the signalman at the consulate window.
Then the landing orders we're passed.
The boats started of again and swept
in linked arcs shoreward and into the
harbor. There they were joined by sew
eral other boats, laden with marines
and sailors, from a cruiser which was
anchored inside under the guns Of the
fort. I stood on a wharf and watched
them come in. 1t was such a matter
of fact, unspectacular performance that
1t was difficult for me to accept the
evidence of my eyes, to believe that
saw what I was seeing. Crowds Of
Mexicans and many Americans COLI
lected at the waterfront to watch the
show