Emergency Forces Are Ordered South.

New York Times 100 years ago today, February 18, 1913:
President's Reassurances to Madero Are Followed by New Precautions.
THOUSAND MEN SAIL TO-DAY
Two Transports Are Also Ordered from Newport News to Galveston for Possible Use of Troops.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.— Although there has been no change in the policy of the Taft administration to avoid intervention in Mexico, if it can possibly do so, the significant event of the day here was a renewal of active preparations for possible serious contingencies.
    Two thousand marines, gathered from navy yards along the Atlantic Coast, are to be assembled without delay at Philadelphia and Norfolk, and will sail thence to-morrow and Wednesday.
    It was stated that this entire force would be taken to Guantanamo to await orders, but careful questioning of officials brought such evasive answers that there is some basis for thinking that at least part of the marine contingent may have another destination, perhaps Vera Cruz, where three American battleships are already at anchor. With heavy reinforcements of marines they with the fourth battleship, now on its way there, would be prepared for almost any emergency.
    Besides the dispatch of the marines, two transports were ordered to-night to proceed at once from Newport News to Galveston, where they will be ready for the movement of troops from the border should any new emergency arise. Early in the day the Third Cavalry at Fort Sam Houston was directed to hold itself ready to entrain for Galveston prepared for foreign service.
    The Government has no transports available in Gulf waters, and investigation showed that to engage commercial vessels would be expensive and result in much delay. It was, therefore, determined to send two transports to the Texas port to await further orders. The McClellan, Sumner, and Kilpatrick are known to be ready to sail.

Orders Followed Taft's Reply.
    Both these precautionary steps are regarded as a direct outcome of last night's Cabinet meeting, which remained in session until nearly 1 o'clock this morning. Orders for marines to move quickly followed the transmission of President Taft's reply to President Madero's appeal for a continuance of the non-intervention policy of the Taft administration.
    In this reply President Taft told Madero that the reports that this Government had decided to intervene were "inaccurate." But there was a snapper to an otherwise extremely diplomatic communication that had a deeper significance, in the light of the knowledge that 2,000 marines have been ordered southward in connection with conditions in Mexico.
    President Taft informed President Madero that "the present most dangerous situation" had created "extreme pessimism" in this country and "the conviction that the present paramount duty is the prompt relief of the situation." The text of the message to President Madero was as follows:

    From your Excellency's telegram, which reached me the 14th, it appeared that your Excellency was somewhat misinformed as to the policy of the United States toward Mexico, which has been uniform for two years, or as to the naval or other measures thus far taken, which are measures of natural precaution. The Ambassador telegraphed that when you were good enough to show him your telegram to me, he pointed out this fact. Your Excellency must, therefore, be aware that the reports which appear to have reached you that orders have already been given to land forces were inaccurate. The Ambassador, who is fully informed, is, nevertheless, again instructed to afford you any desirable information. Fresh assurances of friendship to Mexico are unnecessary after two years of proof of patience and good-will.
    In view of the special friendship and relations between the two countries I cannot too strongly impress upon your Excellency the vital importance of the early establishment of that real peace and order which this Government has so long hoped to see, both because American citizens and their property must be protected and respected, and also because this Nation sympathizes deeply with the afflictions of the Mexican people.
    In reciprocating the anxiety shown by your Excellency's message I feel it my duty to add sincerely and without reserve that the course of events during the past two years, culminating in the present most dangerous situation, creates in this country extreme pessimism and the conviction that the present paramount duty is the prompt relief of the situation.     WILLIAM H. TAFT.

    In spite of these striking developments here to-day, there is every reason to believe that the President and his advisers have not changed their opinion that conditions in Mexico have not yet reached the point where intervention would be justified. The arrangements to meet an emergency are merely precautionary. It is possible to twist them into a semblance of decision to begin hostilities, but to do so is to misrepresent the Administration's desire to prevent what everybody admits would be a long and sanguinary struggle.
    The situation is delicate, but the conditions that produced it may end as suddenly as they came. It is with that hope in mind that President Taft and his Cabinet are seeking to preserve the status quo. They feel that an end of the fierce conflict in Mexico City, regardless of which side won, would bring an adjustment that would restore Mexico to a normal state.
    Above all things the President is anxious to avoid taking any steps that would embarrass his successor in the Presidential office at the outset of his  Administration. He holds that it would be unfair to commit the United States to a policy that President Wilson would be obliged to carry out for the sake of National honor, or because he could not help himself.
    The President told friends to-day that he realized what a difficult thing it would be for a new Administration to gather up the reins of government and understand the conditions in the southern republic in a few weeks or in months. He thinks it would take at least six months for Mr. Wilson and his Cabinet to grasp details of diplomatic negotiation, or troop and battleship movements and international niceties that he and his Cabinet have acquired in two years' close study of a condition that has never ceased to confront them.
    He has told his advisers that he will be President until Mr. Wilson takes the oath of office and that if intervention is demanded by Congress on his last day in office, he will not hesitate to concur. But he hopes that he will not have to act and then move into the background, leaving a new President to struggle with the real problem.

Expect Crisis in 48 Hours.
    The reason for the renewal of military preparation to-day is found in the belief of high officials that the crisis in the Mexican situation will come within forty-eight hours. The outcome may be excesses that will produce the "intolerable conditions," to quote a previous statement of the Government, that might compel intervention.
    The haste with which the Navy Department acted to-day is shown in the fact that it borrowed from the War Department the troopship Meade to carry part of the marine force south.
    Detachments of marines were entrained at every navy yard and naval station from Washington to Portsmouth, N.H., this afternoon, all destined for Philadelphia, where they will sail on the Meade.
    The transport Prairie, now at Charleston, S.C., was ordered this morning to proceed to Norfolk, where she will take 700 marines aboard as soon as she arrives, and sail immediately. These marines will come from the naval stations at Charleston, Port Royal, and Norfolk.
    According to the Navy Department's announcement, the entire force of marines will go into camp at Guantanamo, where there are now only 103 marines. They will be under the command of Col. Lincoln Karmany. The first regiment will be commanded by Col. George Barnett and the second by Col. Joseph H. Pendleton.
    If there should be need these two regiments, with the bluejackets on the vessels at Guantanamo, could leave Guantanamo on Monday and be in the City of Mexico on Thursday night, provided railway communication was open between Vera Cruz and the capital.
    The Administration's desire to avert the harm that might be caused by the false reports circulated in the City of Mexico that this Government had decided to intervene caused the sending of a general dispatch to all Consuls in Mexico reiterating the Government's adherence to the policy of non-intervention. Consular officers were urged in this message to do all in their power to put the truth before the Mexican people.
    Many reports have come in Consular dispatches the last week that Mexicans had asserted that the united States had decided on intervention. This has been disseminated from the City of Mexico, evidently for the purpose of stirring up feeling against the United States. In some districts, according to these advices, statements were made that the United States had already moved a military force into Mexico.
    The instructions sent to-day were emphatic. Consular officers were told to state positively that the policy of this country was unchanged, and that every step thus far taken was entirely in harmony with the pacific principles expressed over and over by President Taft.

Federals Violated Armistice.
    With the establishment of a strict censorship in Mexico City by the Federal authorities it is realized by the State Department that the privileged dispatches sent by Henry Lane Wilson, the American Ambassador, have become of more than ordinary value. Assurances were given to-day that every effort would be made to give all available news to the public.
    Mr. Wilson's dispatches have been filed late at night in cipher and have usually been received about 3 or 4 o'clock on the following morning. Most of them are long and an hour or more is required to translate them from the code form.
    The, latest dispatch, given out to-day from Mr. Wilson, which told of the state of affairs in Mexico City, was dated last night, and received at 2:50 o'clock this morning. The State Department's account was as follows :

    "The Ambassador telegraphed that at midday yesterday he had been informed by Gen. Diaz that the Federals, by taking new positions, establishing cannon on certain buildings, and by placing 700 pounds of dynamite in the sewers approaching the citadel, wore violating the armistice, which had been established through the Embassy's efforts.
    "The Embassy sent out persons to investigate Gen. Diaz's statements and found them to be true. Federal representatives, who were then in the Embassy, were requested to arrange for the continuance of the armistice to-day, and they departed, stating that they would return to the Embassy to meet the representatives of Gen. Diaz at 7 o'clock. At about that hour a letter was received from Gen. Huerta of the Federal forces stating that the armistice must be terminated on account of its violation by the revolutionists.
    "The Ambassador reported that there was nothing new in the military Situation last night, but that on the night of the 15th 400 of Gen. Blanquetes men had deserted to Diaz. Information in the possession of the Embassy would seem to indicate that little damage has been effected on the citadel by the Federal firing and only eighteen rebels are said to have been killed.
    "The water supply of the Embassy was cut off throughout yesterday as well as the electric light from half of the building."

    Other reports indicated that the lines of Gen. Diaz had been extended in one direction beyond the palace of the Ministry of Gobernacion, which they had taken, and in the other direction as far as the German school.

Madero Predicts Speedy Success.
    Madero telegraphed close friends in Washington to-day that he "expected definite results very soon." Those dispatches came through promptly.
    "We are certain to control the situation within a short time. President Madero absolutely determined and the people are with him," read a private dispatch to a Washington friend to-night from Juan Sanchez Azcona, private secretary to President Madero.
    The Mexican Embassy said that no dispatches had been received there, and that it was depending upon press dispatches for its information of the fighting in Mexico City,
    The dreadnoughts Vermont and Nebraska, with Rear Admiral Fletcher aboard the Vermont, put in at Vera Cruz at 8 o'clock this morning, bringing the number of warships there up to three and the force of jackies, officers, and marines available for landing up to 2,500.
    It is said that night sessions of the Cabinet to consider late developments from Mexico probably will not be held in the future. Several of the President's Cabinet suggested to him to-day that these meetings might be misunderstood in both the United States and Mexico, and that their significance might be magnified. The Cabinet officers felt that the frequent reports of these late meetings, which apparently brought little tangible action, might lead to suspicion that the "lid" had been clamped down; that the public was being misled, and that back of them many secret orders were being issued from the State, War, and Navy Departments. The President agreed with his advisers and practically decided to hold no more such conferences.