American Warships Rushed To Mexico.

New York Times 100 years ago today, February 11, 1913:
Commanders Directed to Keep Railroads Open for Escape of United States Citizens.
MARINES LIKELY TO LAND
Taft Still Hopes to Avoid Intervention, but It's Admitted Public Opinion May Force It.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.— After sleeping on it and giving further consideration to the subject at a Cabinet conference to-day, President Taft and his official advisers decided that military intervention in Mexico would not be justified by the fatal political disturbance in the capital of that country yesterday. That was their opinion last night, and nothing received since then has caused them to believe that the situation as far as it affects American interests has changed in a marked decree.
    To be prepared, however, for any emergency due to the new revolutionary disturbance, it was decided by the President and several of his counselors to send a strong force of American warships to Mexican waters. Early this afternoon the cruiser Denver, now at Acapulco, on the Pacific side of Mexico, under orders to proceed to Central America, was instructed to remain there, and later in the day, after further consultation among President Taft, Secretary of State Knox, and Secretary of the Navy Meyer, orders were sent to Rear Admiral Badger, commanding the Atlantic Fleet at Guantanamo, Cuba, to dispatch a battleship to Vera Cruz and another to Tampico.
    Orders also were sent to Rear Admiral Southerland, commanding the Pacific Fleet at San Diego, Cal., to send the armored cruiser Colorado to Mazatlan, a port in the State of Sinaloa more than 600 miles north of Acapulco.
    Instructions for the guidance of officers commanding the vessels to be sent to Mexico were transmitted by Secretary Meyer to Admirals Badger and Southerland. The ship commanders were directed to keep railroad communication open between Mexico City and the coast, provide means of escape for Americans who might be in peril or for other reasons desired to leave the country. Those instructions were taken here to suggest that forces of marines and bluejackets would be landed from the warships to guard railway communication, but no specific order was given in regard to increasing the number of marines on the ships. It was left to Admiral Badger to augment the marine detachments of the two battleships from other vessels of his fleet if he regarded it as necessary to do so.

Americans Considered Safe.
    There have been no reports of trouble in the operation of the railroad line between Mexico City and Vera Cruz and the line between the capital and Tampico. No anxiety was felt in official circles over the condition of Americans in the immediate vicinity of the new theatre of hostilities. Officials said they believed President Madero would give every protection available and that Felix Diaz hardly would show a disposition to molest citizens of this country.

Ambassador Reports Quiet.
    A dispatch was received in the State Department late this evening from Henry Lane Wilson, American Ambassador, stating that the situation in the City of Mexico to-night practically was the same as last night. There had been no fighting in the day, and it was supposed the Diaz forces were in control throughout the city. The supporters of Madero were intrenched in the palace. Only one other message from Mr. Wilson was received. It came in the early hours of the day, and told tersely of the passing rumors that Felix Diaz had received the capitulation of the Government arsenal in Mexico City, and that the mounted police, rurales, and artillery in the city had gone over to him. The only place that was loyal to President Madero was the palace.
    Two resolutions on the situation were introduced in the House to-day. Both indicated a desire for the protection of American interests and property, but neither was drastic nor calculated to embarrass the Administration. The disposition of Chairman Flood and his colleagues on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs was to trust the good sense of the Taft Administration and take no action that might tend to complicate affairs.
    The War Department has not issued orders for the mobilization of troops for Mexican service. Under plans prepared a long time ago by the Army General Staff, certain infantry, cavalry, and artillery, aggregating about 15,000 men, were designated for just such service in any near-by foreign territory, but the President and his advisers did not regard it as necessary to have that expeditionary force warned to prepare for a movement southward.

Taft Expects to Avoid Action.
    President Taft and his Cabinet are on the bear side of the effort to have this Government intervene in Mexico. Their position is that, although many outrages against Americans in the Southern republic have been committed, as a consequence of the revolutionary disturbances, those occurrences have not been so frequent or so general as to justify a movement of American armed forces across the boundary. It is admitted that a continuance of the conditions in Mexico might arouse public opinion in this country to such an extent that the Government would feel bound to act, but the Administration officials are confident that the present policy of non-intervention will not be changed before President Taft retires from office three weeks from tomorrow.