The Canadian Valley News. (Jones City, Okla.), Vol. 13, No. 50, Ed. 1 Friday, April 24, 1914 Page: 2 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Canadian Valley News (Jones, Oklahoma) and was provided to The Gateway to Oklahoma History by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
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■ * 10
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Measures "short of war" are
planned by the president, such as the
seizure of the customs houses, the
occupation of coast towns, the taking
of Mexican warships and a blockade
arise. 1 therefore felt It tny duty to
sustain Admiral Mayo In the whole of
his demand and to insist that the flag
of the United should be saluted In such
a way as to Indicate a new spirit and at-
titude on the part of the Huertlstas.
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HOUSE, BY AN ALMOST UNANI-
MOUS VOTE, AUTHORIZES
USE OF ARMY AND NAVY.
READS MESSAGE TO BOTH HOUSES
PRES. WILSON READS HIS MESSAGE
n
MAKES CLEAR HI8 ATTITUDE IN
TAMPICO AFFAIR.
« t n
Disclaims Any Intention of Grabbing
Territory or Ill-Will to the
People of Mexico.
FOUR DEAD; TWENTY WOUNDED
IN THE CAPTURE OF
VERA CRUZ.
Washington.—Following his usual
custom. President Wilson appeared in
person, and read his message on the
Mexican situation. He said:
MEXICAN LOSS ESTIMATED 200
Bluejackets Drive Federal! Back In
All-Day Skirmish, and Now Hold
a Large Part of the City—The
Prairie Takes Part.
ADMIRAL BADGER AND HIS FLAGSHIP
Vera Cruz.—Vera Cruz Is In the
hands of forces of the United States
warships but the occupation of the
port waa not accomplished without
loss of American lives.
Four Americans, bluejackets and
marines, were killed by the Are of
the Mexican soldiers and twenty fell
wounded. The Mexican loss 1b not
known, but It Is believed to have been
heavy, elstimates having placed it at
about 200.
The Mexican commander, General
Gustavo Maas, offered a stubborn re-
sistance to the American advance
and for many hours there was fight-
ing In the streets. Toward nightfall
the main body of the federal garrison
retreated to the westward.
Rear Armlral Fletchdr, command-
ing the United States warships pre-
faced his^ occupation of the pert of a
demand through the American consul,
\V. W. Canada, for its surrender
General Maas promptly declined to
accede to this demand and Bhortly
afterwards ten whaleboats were sent
off from the side of the transport
Prairie loaded with marines.
These boats effected a landing In
the neighborhood of the custome
house before noon and a few minutes
later Captain William R. Rush of the
battleship Florida, who was in com
mand of the shore operations, brought
his flag In.
Captain Rush's men already had
taken up their positions. They num-
bered 160 blueajckets from the Flop
Ida, 390 marines from the Prairie and
65 marines from the Florida. Later
these were augmented by a detach
ment from the Utah.
The coming of the American forces
was not heralded by any great ex
cltement, but small crowds gathered
to watch the landing. Soon the blue
jackets and marines marched through
the streets leading from the watei
front and along the railroad yards.
Others proceeded to the American
consulate, while still others were de-
ployed along the approaches to Cen
tral plaza in which General Maas had
concentrated his men.
These maneuyers were effected
without opposition, but suddenly Gen-
eral Maas challenged the advance
with the first shots—a volley fired
from a point three blocks from the
marines and two blocks from the
main plaza. The marines replied Im-
mediately but the action ceased In a
moment. There was a lull for ten
minutes and then another brief ex-
change from the west end of Monte-
sinos street, where a federal outpost
was stationed.
Artillery Turned Loote.
At 12:30 the firing became general
and at 1 o'clock the guns of the Prairie
went Into action.
Prior to this a detachment of blue-
jackets from the Utah, holding the
ground between the consulate and the
water front, opened with two of their
three-inch guns. The first shots from
these pieces were directed against the
ancient Benito Juarez tower, which
once served as a lighthouse. This
was occupied by Mexican sharpshoot-
ers. Lieutenant-Commander Buchan-
an of the Florida ordered that it be
destroyed. Five shots brought the old
tower down.
The women of the American colony
In Vera Cruz had been placed aboard
the chartered steamers Esperanza and
Mexico, but the foreign colony, especi-
ally the American eectlon, was great-
ly augmented when three trainload?
arrived from the capital. Some of
these remained ashore, but many were
taken aboard the steamers. So far as
can be learned no refugees were In
jured.
After General Maas had been driven
from his position tn Central Plaza
the Americans found themselves the
object of fusillades from house tr
house, most of those engaged in thii
resistance being civilians, ghey sta
tloned themselves at points of van
tage and did much to prolong ths
action.
This withdrawal, however, was not
entirely premeditated. Those watch--
ing on the ships observed through
their glasses a large force of Mexicans
moving over the htllB in the western
outskirts of the city, apparently with
the Intention of flanking a battalion
of marines In the railway yards and
along Monteslnos street, which runs
east and west, not far from the Amer-
ican consulate.
Immediately the five-inch guns of the
Prairie belched forth breaking the
Mexican formation and causing a hasty
retreat. This ended the flanking oper-
ations. Only a few minutes be'ore
the three-inch guns of the Prairie
were used effectively near shore. A
small detachment of Mexicans had
gained positions near the customs
house and their concealed marksmen
were causing some trouble. A few
shots from the Prairie’s guns silenced
them. From time to time the same
guns played thetr shells along the line
of the shore, keeping the territory
comparatively free of sharpshooters.
“Gentlemen of the Congress:
“It Is my duty to call your attention to
a situation which has arisen In our deal-
ings with General Victorlana Huerta at
Mexico City which calls for action and
to ask your advice and co-operation In
acting upon it. On the ninth of April a
paymaster of the U. S. S. Dolphin landed
at the Iturbide bridge at Tampico with
a whaleboat and boat’s crew to take oft
certain supplies needed by his ship, and
while actively engaged in loading the
boat was arrested by an officer and squad
of men of the army of General Huerta.
Neither the paymaster or any one of the
boat’s crew was armed. Two of the men
were In the boat when the arrest took
place and were obliged to leave it and
submit to be taken into custody; not-
withstanding the fact that the boat car-
ried, both at her bow and at her stern
the flag of the United States. The offi-
cer who made the arrest, was proceed-
ing up one of the streets of the town
with his prisoners when met by an offle-
t*T of higher authority, who ordered him
to return to the landing and await or-
ders, and within an hour and a half from
the time of the arrest orders were re-
ceived from the commander of the Hu-
tista forces at Tam pi
of the paymaster ana his men.
Huerta Makes Excuses
“The release was followed by apolo-
gies from the commander and later by
an expression of regret by General Hu-
erta, himself. General Huerta urged
that martial law obtained at the time
at Tampico; that orders had been issued
that no one should be allowed to land
at the Iturbide bridge; and that our
sailors had no right to land there.
Our naval commanders at the port had
not been notified of any such prohibi-
tion, and, even if they had been, the only
Justifiable course open to the local auth-
orities would have been to request the
paymaster and his crew to withdraw and
to lodge a» protest with the commanding
officer of the fleet; Admiral Mayo re*
garded the arrest ns so serious an affront
that he was not satisfied with the apol-
ogies offered but demanded that the flag
of the United States be snlued with spe-
cial ceremony by the military comman-
der of the port.
Premeditated Insults
“The incident cannot be regarded as a
trivial one, especially as two of the men
arrested were taken from the boat itself
-that is to say, from the territory of
the United Sees; but had it stood by it-
self, it might have been attributed to the
Ignorance or arrogance of a single offi-
cer. Unfortunately it was not an iso-
lated case. A series of incidents recently
have occurred which cannot but create
the impression that the representatives
of General Huerta were willing to go out
Detailing Offenses of the Huerta Ds
Facto Government Against the
Honor and Dignity of the
U. 8. Government.
nity and rights of this government and
felt perfectly safe in doing whttt they
pleased, making free to show In many
ways their Irritation and contempt.
“A few days after the Incident at Tam-
pico an orderly from the U. S. 8. Minne-
sota was arrested at Vera Crux while
ashore in uniform to obtain the ship’s
mall and web for a time thrown Into Jail.
An official dispatch from the government
to the embassy at Mexico City was with-
held by the authorities of the telegraph
service until peremptory demanded by
our charge in the affairs in person.
“So far as I can learn such wrongs
and annoyance have been suffered to oc-
cur only against representatives of the
United States. I have heard no com-
plaints from other governments of simi-
lar treatment. Subsequent explanations
and formal apologies did not alter the
popiilar impression which it is possible
has been the object of the Huertista
authorities to create that the government
of the United States was being singled
out and might be singled out with im-
punity for slights and affront in retalia-
tion for its refusal to recognize the pre-
tensions of General Huerta to be regard-
ed as tne constitutional provisional pres-
ident of the republic of Mexico.
Would Prevent War.
“The manifest danger of such a situ-
ation was such offenses might grow from
bad to worse until something happens of
so gross and intolerable a sort as to lead
directly and inevitably to armed conflict.
It was necessary that the apologies of
General Huerta and his representative
should go much further, that they
should be such as to attract the atten-
tion of the whole population to their
significance and such as to impress upon
General Huerta himself the necessity of
seeing to it that no further occasion for
explanations and professed regrets should
arise.
a way as
tltude on
“Such a salute General Huerta has
refused and I have come to ask your
approval and support in the course I now
purpose to pursue.
‘This government can, T earnestly
hope, In no circumstances be forced Into
war with the people of Mexico. Mexico
is torn by civil strife. If we are to ac-
cept the tests of Its own constitution,
It has no government. General Huerta
has set his power up In the City of Mex-
ico, such as It is, without right and by
methods for which there can be no Jus-
tification.
Friendship fer Mexico
“But I earnestly hope that war Is not
now in question. I believe that I speak
for the American people when I say we
do not desire to control in any degreee
the afTalrs of our sister republic. Our
feeling for the people of Mexico is one of
deep and genuine friendship and every-
thing we have so far done or refrained
from doing has proceeded from our de-
sire to help them, not to hinder or em-
barass them.
“No doubt I could do what is neces-
sary In the circumstances to enforce re-
spect for our government without re-
course to the congress and yet not ex-
ceed my constitutional powers as presi-
dent: but I do not wish to act on a mat-
er of so grave consequence except in
close conference and co-operation with
both the senate and house. I therefor#
come to ask your approval that I should
use the armed forces of the United
States In such ways and to such extent
as may be necessary to obtain from Gen-
eral Huerta and hie advocates the full-
est recognition of the rights and dig-
nity of the United States, even against
the distressing conditions now unhappil>
obtaining in Mexico.
“There can, in what we do, he n«
thought of aggression or of selfish ng-
grandlzement. We seek to maintain tht
dignity and authority of the United
States only because we wish always tr
keep our great Influence unimpaired foi
the uses of liberty, both in the United
States and wherever else it may be em-
ployed for the benefit of mankind."
Civilian Soldiers May See Service.
Washington.—Prompt organization
of a volunteer army for service in
Mexico, would be provided for In a
hause bill passed by the Benate. The
bill would revise the law under which
a volunteer force was organized foi
the Spanlsh-American war In 1898. Ita
authors claim that a volunteer force
could be rained more quickly than un
der the legislative law, that it would
prevent payment of bounties, woult*
do away with a short term of enlist
ment by making the terms of volun-
teers the tame as the regular army,
Washington.—After a spirited de-
bate of more than two hours the
house passed the administration res-
olution approving President Wilson’s
purpose to use the armed forces of
the nation to obtain from General
Huerta the fullest recognition of the
honor and dignity of the United
States.
The vote was 337 to 37. The reso-
lution was passed and w’es sent to
the senate. Almost Immediately it
was referred to the senate foreign
relations committee and the commit-
tee agreed to report the resolution
with the preamble to read: “in view
of the situation presented by the
president,” and eliminating individual
reference to Huerta throughout the
measure. Thus, it passed the senate.
Those who voted against the res-
olution in the house were:
Democrats—George, Kindel, Sisson,
Stephens (Miss.) and Witherspoon—5.
Republicans—Ainey, Anderson, An-
thony, Bartiioldt, Britten, Butler,
Campbell, Davis, Pordney, French,
Gardner, Gillett, Good, Hayes, Howell,
Johnson (Utah) Johnson (Wash.),
Kahn, Langham, Lafollette, Madden,
Mann, Mondell, Platt, Sells, Steener-
son, Stephens (Minn.), Volsted and
Wood 8—29.
Progressives —Bell (Calif.) and
Temple—2.
Independent—Kent—1.
In an atmosphere of suppressed ex-
citement, reflecting grave tension and
patriotic fervor, the president of the
United States asked congress in per-
son for approval of his purpose to use
the army and navy to force General
Huerta to apologize for indignities
offered to the American government.
New Orders for Forces.
While congress deliberated and Ma-
Jorit Leader Underwood urged prompt
action so if American forces were
fired on they would be free to act, the
executive branch of th§ government
issued orders to the army and navy
with systematic regularity.
The army was cautioned to be on
the alert and active preparations to
use the militia as volunteer forces in
case of further emergency were be-
gun. The war ships of the navy were
ordered to concentrate on Tampico
and Vera Cruz as their objective.
Plans were made to seize these portf^
American merchant vessels were or-
dered out of Mexican harbors and
there was a long session of the joint
board of the army and navy, partici-
pated in by Admiral Dewey, Major
General Wood and Major General
Wotherspoon after which it was an-
nounced that the army and navy were
prepared for instant action.
Blockade Planned.
Measures
of Mexico's commerce with the United
States. When the president laid the
situation before the cabinet in a two-
hour session, Counselor Lansing of
the state department sat at the table
telling in detail of the precedent upon
which the administration’8 action it
now has been decided will be based.
It happened in 1854 when the cap-
tain of an American war vessel was
ordered by President Pierce to Blue-
fields, Nicaragua, to Becure reparation
for insults to the American minister.
The town was held by rebels who had
not been recognized by the United
States. It wras bombarded by the
American ships three times and final-
ly the American officer went ashore
with his men and burned the town.
No lives were lost.
Not 8eeking More Territory.
Mr. Wilson realizes that any action
which the United States might take
might be construed by Huerta as a
military operation sufficient to pro-
voke war, but in everything said he
emphasized that it was not the part
of a powerful nation such as the
United States to declare war on a
weaker neighbor especially on a sim-
ilar portion of a country already torn
by civil strife.
The president’s message Indlacted
clearly that should war result the
United States would not seek to add
to Its territorial confines.
Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger, In command of the Atlantic fleet, ordered to Tampico to enforce the president?
iemand of a salute to the flag by Huerta forces there. The battleship Arkansas is the admiral’s flagship.
ATLANTIC FLEET ON THE WAY TO TAMPICO
Here are some of the mighty battleships of the Atlantic fleet steaming at full speed for Tampico. Rear Admiral
Badger, the commander, has orders to bombard that port, seize It or take any other measures which he may deen?
necessary.
TAMPICO CUSTOM HOUSE AND DOCKS
View of the custom house at Tampico, and of the docks. Rear Admiral Badger was given orders to seize thi»
custom house If he thought It advisable. It is the shipping point for most of the Mexican olL
AMERICAN TROOPS ARRIVE AT THE BORDER
Rebel Chiefs Meet After Four Yesrs.
Chihuahua.—With many fateful
questions dealing with the revolution
and foreign affaire before them, Gen-
eral Carranza and General Francisco
Villa met formally here. It was their
first meeting In four years, Carranza
flrst having met the military leader,
wnen, fresh from outlawry, he was •
leader of one of the Francisco I. Ma-
dero's revolutionary bands. The meet-
ing bad every appearance of friendli-
ness and Villa made a point of re-
ferring to Carranza as his chief.
In case it should be necessary to establish s blockade along the Mexican border, the troops in that part of
ouentry were hurried to the Line. A regiment is here eeen detraining near Laredo, Tex.
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Keyes, Chester A. The Canadian Valley News. (Jones City, Okla.), Vol. 13, No. 50, Ed. 1 Friday, April 24, 1914, newspaper, April 24, 1914; Jones, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc859474/m1/2/?q=j+w+gardner: accessed June 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.