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Show ! Villa Is Moving Troops to Border I for Hostilities with United States f ALL-DAY CONFERENCE HELD OVER j SITUATION AT MEXICAN BORDER - Cabinet Officers Begin Work at Dawn Embargo" Re-estab- .5 lished All Available Troops Ordered to Patrol Service , Rebels and Federals Join Forces Further Naval I Operations in Mexican Waters Planned Gen- I eral Maas Reported Marching on Vera Cruz With Re-inforcements. f BADGER PLANS PROMPT SEIZURE OF ROAD I I O'Shaughncssy Given Fasaports and Told to Leave 1000 :f Americans in Mexico City Under Protection of Foreign I Legation Guards U. S. Marines and Bluejackets Take Possession of Breastworks Three Miles j . Inland Aggressive Policy is Mapped Out. Juarez, Mex., April 23. Four hundred rebel troops ar- cived here today from Chihuahua, bringing the strength of the fc local garrison to 900 men. Two hundred more of Villa's personal escort will arrive with their chief this evening. Brownsville, Texas, April 23. Hostilities between the Mexican federals and Constitutionalists, fighting for the pos- I I session of Monterey, largest city of northern Mexico," ceased, I according to reports here today and leaders of the two armies k conferred under a flag of truce on the situation existing bell be-ll tween the United States and Mexico. I Washington, D. C. April 23. Arter issuing a statement declaring the intention in-tention of the United States to enforce en-force reparation "whenever and wher-"ever wher-"ever the dignity of the United States is flouted." President Wilson hent all the energies of the administration io-day io-day to planning for operations in Mexico. The president's statement. Issued after a cabinet conference, in reply to the message received from the Constitutionalist Con-stitutionalist chief, Carranza, declared that "we are now dealing only with those whom Huerta commands and those who come to his support." Many Conferences Held. From dawn today the wearied chiefs of the war and navy departments, Secretary of State Bryan, and the other cabinet officers hurried from conference to conference. At the White House, the cabinet officials, of-ficials, with Counselor Robert Lansing, Lan-sing, of the state department, aided the president In formulating his reply to Carranza. At the war department. Secretary Garrison, General Wotherspoon, chief of staff; Major General Leonard Wood and General E. W. Weaver, chief of jf. the coast artillery, held several con-l' con-l' ferences discussing operations, ji War Department Orders. ; Orders from the war department di rected Fort Sam Houston to stop all ' ; importations of arras directed to the ' Huerta forces. This led to a re-j re-j 1 port that the embargo on arms had been re-established at the northern : ' border, aainBt both federalists and 'w constitutionalists. Some officials said it waB probable that no arms Bwill be allowed to cross the border, although the department hesitates to iEsue a blanket order until the exact u attitude of the constitutionalists toil to-il ward the United States can be dem-zE dem-zE onstrated. B Situation at Border. The situation on the Mexican border bor-der was the subject of all the day's conferences. Any contemplated i movement of the army to Vera Cruz ' ; by transport, it was reported, would 5 b held up as a result of tho Carranza f . message until border conditions would permit withdrawal of troops there. ! . Suggestions were made that, before any extensive army movoment could i be ordered, the militia would have to ' be called out by congressional action ? and money supplied for the moblll-f moblll-f zation of a large army. J Word was received at tho navy de partment that the destroyer flotilla I from Vera Cruz had reached Tamplco I and another report said that the reyo-1 reyo-1 lutionists troopB about Tamplco had I formed an alliance with the Huerta 1 forces in the city. The department 1 staff conferred as to conditions at I Vera Cruz and it was understood that 1 the next move by the forces under Art-1 Art-1 niiral Badger would be the seizure of I f, the railroad from Vera Cruz to Mex ico City. This road, controlled by , two bridges, which, if destroyed, would be difficult to replace, would be absolutely necessary if Vera Crua is to be made the base of further aggressive ag-gressive operations. The president, in his statement oi comment on Carrauza's note, which bad asked this government to withdraw with-draw from Vera Cruz and recognize the Constitutionalists, flatly announced announc-ed that the course of the Washington government would be continued in the direction of General Huerta and his adherents, but that the United States had no quarrel with the Mexican pcc pie as a whole- Carranza's request for the withdrawal with-drawal of the American forces from Vera Cruz on the ground it was "a violation or the national sovereignty of Mexico," and a hostile act to tho Mexican nation, gave the president and has cabinet adviBers much concern. con-cern. In consequence, the White House statement was issued to inform General Carranza that the United States could not recognize him or seek reparation from him as he requested, re-quested, but must deal with the authorities au-thorities in control of the territory where offenses were committed. Reported movements of Mexican troops in the neighborhood of Juarez here today developed the fact that the state and war departments are anxious anxi-ous to secure information as to the whereabouts of General Pancho Villa and his force of Constitutionalists. Villa waB last heard from in the neighborhood of Torreon, but American Ameri-can authorities have lost track of hia movements. American marines and bluejackets today gained possession of breastworks breast-works three miles inland from Vera Cruz. This position is on the railroad' rail-road' to Mexico City and had been in poasesslon of Huerta soldiers since the United States forces took posses sion of the city. The fact that Charge O'Shaughncssy O'Shaughncs-sy had been handed his passport by General Huerta added an acute aspect to the situation, but has been mora or less expected. The interests of the United States will be looked after bv one or two of the other foreign locations. lo-cations. Secrotary Bryan said tha the mere withdrawal of the charge d'affaires did not necessarily mean war. The department said that from 800 to 1000 Americans were in Mexico City and that they would be protected by the guards of the other legations, numbering num-bering about 100 soldiers. No American Ameri-can marines are in the Mexican capital capi-tal Senator snivels', acting chairman chair-man of the foreign relations committee commit-tee of the senate, conferred with the president about noon. Afterwards he said that the aggressive policy m Mexico would not he abandoned. Washington, April 23. Secretary Bryan and Robert Lansing, counsellor counsel-lor of the state department were summoned sum-moned to the White House by President Presi-dent Wilson at 9 o'clock today. The president conferred with them In the White House library instead of the executive office. i General Wotherspoon, chief of staff of the army, and General Wood reached reach-ed the war department shortly after 0 o'clock. Neither would discuss the situation. Heads of departments were summoned to confer with them in General Wotherspoon's office. Daniels and Lane Called. Secretary Daniels and Secretary Lane Joined in the conference with the president shortly before 10 o'clock and Secretary Garrison was expected to arrive momentarily. It was reported re-ported that immediate movements along the Mexican border and the necessity ne-cessity for further operations at Vera Cruz were under consideration Secretary Lane, the first cabinet member to leave the White House conference, said that the president had decided to issue a statement during dur-ing the day outlining definitely the policy that will be pursued in Mexico. Mex-ico. It was understood that this statement state-ment would deal particularly with the situation in the ucrth of Mexico, as indicated in the Carranza note. Garrison Calls Conference. Secretary of War Garrison called a conference at his office after General Gen-eral Wood and General Wotherspoon had been together an hour. General Wotherspoon and Brigadier General K. W. Weaver, chief of coast artillery, joined the secretary. Word reached the war department here today that the constitutionalists and the Huerlistas at Tamplco have United to oppose any American operations. opera-tions. Woods Awaits OrderE. General Woods still Is awaiting orders or-ders at the war department. No call has yet been issued for the militia and it is said that nothing could bo done in that direction until congress had acted by authorizing the movement move-ment and by providing the ftirge amount of. money necessary tor- mc concentration of the millta forces at the various camps which alrgady fiave been selected in the respective" states Complete Change in Plans. A complete change in the plan of military campaign in Mexico may be necessitated by the menacing attitude of the constitutionalists and that subject sub-ject is now under discussion by the joint board of the army and navy and the secretaries of the two military mili-tary departments. Prorlionfimr hplipf that the COllsti- tutionalists would obscrvo an attitude of strict neutrality during the settlement settle-ment of the issues between tho United Unit-ed States government and General Huerta, no arrangements have been made in regard to the disposition of American military forces on the northern border, beyond those necessary neces-sary to meet possible small local disturbances. Anti-American Feeling Grows. Late reports however, from Consular Consu-lar Agent Carothers indicate growing turbulence and the development of anti-American feeling in the north of Mexico and particularly In the neighborhood neigh-borhood of Chihuahua where many Americans have elected to remain in charge of their own business Interests Inter-ests and In disregard of preceding warnings from the American consular consu-lar officere, relying on the supposod good will of the constitutionalists. Danger at Fort Bliss. A danger spot has developed rap-Idly rap-Idly at Fort Bliss, where, owing to the diversion of a large proportion of tho American garrison to other border bor-der points, the 5000 Mexicans internes, in-ternes, composed of tho federal soldiers sol-diers and their wives, who fled from Ojinaga some months ago, are within a barbed wire enclosure, insufficiently insufficient-ly guarded The status of these Internes In-ternes is likely to be changed soon to that of prisoners of war and it Is the intention of the war department to take the prisoners to a point sufficiently suf-ficiently distant from the border to in-6iire in-6iire their safekeeping. Plans of campaign are being arranged ar-ranged on the lines of the immediate establishment of a sufficient protection protec-tion along the entire northern border for the American inhabitants in Texas Tex-as and tho other border states. Following Fol-lowing that will develop the details of the original plan of a campaign against Mexico City by land via the railroad lines from El Paso south through Chihuahua, which has been so often traversed by the contending Mexican factions within the last three years. This is dependent on a decision by the administration that a state of actual war exists, which Is supposed to be forecast by the rc-establlshnient of the embargo on tho exportation of arms across the line Into Mexico. Many Americans In Mexico City. The state department has been advised ad-vised that between 800 and 1000 American citizens still are in Mexico City. Tho last message from Charge O'Shaughncssy said he expected to leave Mexico City tonight or tomorrow tomor-row morning, but that by no means would he go to Vera Cruz today, it was stated by the department. Laredo. Texas, April 22. Regular troops of the Mexican federal garrison garri-son at Nuevo Laredo entralucd hurriedly hur-riedly late today for Saltillo, whore, it is understood, General Joaquin Maas Jr.,. military commander of the northern Mexican states, has ordered all Huerta forces in northern Mexico to concentrate. Less than 500 irrogu- lars and volunteers were left at Nuevo Laredo to hold the town. It is reported that strong federal forces under Velasco, de Moure and Hidalgo are near SaltiUo. Saltillo is ( forty miles southwest of Monterey, which is besieged -by rebels under General Pablo Gonzales. The exodus of the federals from Byevo Laredo occasioned some excitement and ! there has been rush to the American side of the Rib Grande. Most of the Americans already have left Nuevo Laredo. New York. April 22. Preceding the Tampico incident which precipitated the present Mexican crisis, American marines were denied permission to land on Mexican soil to protect foreigners, for-eigners, according to a cablegram received re-ceived today from Portlllo y Rojas, Mexican minister of foreign affairs, by Consul General De Esteva, here who made the message public. Minister Rojas, after denying that the American flag was insulted and declaring tho American launch carried car-ried no flag, said in his cablegram: "Before this, American marines had demanded permission to land to protect pro-tect foreigners. They were refused said permit, . as the federal forces were sufficient to protect all foreigners. foreign-ers. Minister Rojas requested the consul con-sul general to communicate the cablegram cable-gram to all American newspapers. Vera Cruz, Mexico. April 23. General Gen-eral Gustavo Maas, former Mexican commander at Vera Cruz, was reported report-ed today to be intending to move against the city with strong reinforcements reinforce-ments brought up from Puebla. |