Madero Ordered The Attack.

New York Times 100 years ago today, February 12, 1913:
Against the Protests of Diplomats, He Opens Fire on Diaz's Position.
    MEXICO CITY, Feb. 11.— In spite of the friendly offer of Francisco de la Barra, former Provisional President, to act as mediator, and against the protest of the American Ambassador and diplomatic representatives of other foreign powers. President Madero to-day ordered an attack on Gen. Felix Diaz and his forces, even though he knew that this would result in a terrific bombardment of the capital.
    Estimates of the casualties run as high as 1,000, although accurate information cannot be obtained at this time. The dead certainly will be counted by the hundreds.
    The Federal attack on the rebels, fortified in and around the arsenal, began at 10:15 o'clock in the morning, and up to late afternoon no material advantage had been gained by either side. It appeared, however, that the rebels, who were holding slightly better positions, were reserving their fire. Many assaults against them had been repulsed.
    The Government was not optimistic regarding the result of the combat. Ernesto Madero said that the showing made and the temper of the Federals were entirely satisfactory.
    "We hardly expect to dislodge Diaz today," he said, "since his position is well fortified, but we have sufficient force and implements of war to succeed, and cannot fail to do so.
    "Gen. Aureliano Blanquet is not here and is not coming, probably because he is needed to control the Zapatista forces, who might otherwise improve the opportunity to enter the city. We now have 4,000 men and more available, if necessary, with plenty of artillery."
    It is said that 300 men have deserted the Diaz standard within twenty-four hours, going over to the Federals.
    To the offer of Señor de la Barra to mediate if he thought that course advisable, the President replied that he had no desire to deal with the rebels except through the medium of shot and shell. The position of the rebels he declared to be fatally weakened by the desertion of 160 artillerymen, who to-day operated the guns for the Administration forces.
    The execution done in the prolonged engagement of to-day was sufficient in the belief of Señor de la Barra and the diplomatic representatives to warrant a further attempt to prevent another battle within the city.
    Señor de la Barra sent a message to President Madero, saying: "In the name of humanity and as a Mexican who is free of all political and revolutionary parties. I wish to offer my services in any way possible to effect peace without further bloodshed."
    Madero replied, thanking him, but declaring that no terms other than an unconditional surrender could be made with Diaz.
    That the President is determined to make this a finish fight is evident, though not more so than Diaz, who realizes that there will be no clemency in case of surrender. Almost within a stone's throw of each other, these two fighting forces, each armed with more than twenty cannon, are tearing at each other's throats, and they expect to continue the struggle regardless of the incidental loss of life.
    "I suppose," said the President late this afternoon, "that by to-morrow we will be ready to make a final advance. In the meantime more and more troops are coming in from outside the city. We have now more than the number we consider necessary to subdue the rebels."
    Madero stated that he had received a telegram from Blanquet, at Ajalapa, thirty miles away, who said he was proceeding to the capital to prove his loyalty, which he understood was doubted.
    "I protest energetically against these false impressions," Gen. Blanquet wired.
    The most serious loss sustained during the day among the Federals was the death of Col. Castillo, an efficient officer, who was shot near the Young Men's Christian Association Building while leading a reconnoitring party.
    Three Americans were wounded during the fighting. Lloyd Osbourne, the author, was shot in the thigh while watching the battle from the top of a building.
    Dr. R. H. McCrosson of Lincoln. Neb., was shot in the hand while walking along a street. He had just arrived here.
    Mark Johnson, a negro, of Madison, Ill., received a bullet in the shoulder.
    All through the night the Federal commanders were placing their men in position. Twenty cannon, some of heavy calibre, had been brought in from the outlying districts. Of these seventeen guns were the result of the President's hasty trip by automobile to Cuernavaca Sunday night. With the seventeen guns he added 1,200 men to the Federal forces. Part of these forces accompanied the President back by the road, while others came to the capital by train. Touching the danger of such a trip the President said: "I am not afraid to die, but I mean to die fighting."
    President Madero and members of his Cabinet spent the night in the National Palace. Gen. Huerta left the palace about midnight on a brief visit to his family, but long before daylight he was back again at the headquarters of the Federal troops.
    At that time it was said there were not less than 6,000 Federal soldiers in the city and the Government stated that it expected further reinforcements.
    Felix Diaz, the rebel leader, according to reports, has about 3,000 men under his command.
    The Federal commanders used the streets leading westward from the palace toward the position occupied by the rebels for parking the reserves of infantry, cavalry and artillery loyal to the Government. Ai the ends of these streets Federal outposts were stationed.
    From above the captured arsenal Gen. Felix Diaz floated his red flag of defiance. The rebels appeared no less ready for battle than the Federals. Orders were issued to the detachments guarding all approaches to the arsenal to retire on the appearance of any armed force. But Diaz did not rely entirely on his forces in the arsenal district. He detached a few hundred men with artillery to a point in the northwest of the city.
    These guns dominated Chapultepec, but instead of shelling the old castle they were held ready to strike the Federals in the flank or rear.
    Henry Lane Wilson, the American Ambassador, published a warning to all Americans, urging them not to go into the danger zone. From hundreds of buildings floated the flags of foreign nations, and early in the day many foreigners were congregated in the cable office, sending reassuring messages to relatives and others abroad.
    Both sides were virtually ready when the firing began, but it is almost certain that the first shots, which precipitated the general fighting, were accidental.
    A group of persons insisted upon crossing a street, and a detachment of Federals fired. A machine gun sprang into action and the battle was on.
    Gen. Huerta, in command of the Federals, and Gen. Angeles displayed their loyalty by forcing the attacks.
    Then followed one of the most remarkable scenes ever witnessed on the continent. Street fighting has taken place in Mexico in times past, but a battle in which the contending forces employed heavy artillery at a range sometimes of less than half a mile in a densely populated city, was a new and startling spectacle.
    Beyond the warning issued by the American Ambassador, practically no notice had been given to non-combatants to retire to a place of safety. As a matter of fact, it was impossible to mark out the limitations of the danger zone. As the battle proceeded, shells intended for the enemy, four blocks away, often found lodgment in houses a mile or two miles distant. Rifle bullets flew from the centre to the circumference of the capital, making safety in any quarter only a relative term.
    Noon passed without any material change having been gained on either side.
    Ambulances of the Red and White Cross were early seen whirling away from the Federal rear with loads of wounded, many of whom were citizens, including boys and women of the lower classes.
    Not even the imminence of the battle was sufficient to keep many of the curious from exposing themselves. Others among the injured came from houses into which shells and bullets penetrated, finding victims who had been unable to escape. An effort was made by many in the neighborhood of the arsenal to get out of the way, and in the early morning groups of the poorer people of that district, bearing blankets, mattresses, and bundles of clothing, were seen seeking places of safety. And many of the fugitives were of the well-to-do class, whose homes had been occupied by the men of both sides for strategical reasons.
    The heaviest line of fire was early established along Balderas Street, the cannon of the opposing forces shooting across only four blocks point blank. The Federals at the north end of the line used guns brought from Cuernavaca.
    The extremities of the dueling ground were defended by detachments of infantry and machine suns, whose rain of bullets swept the intervening space,  with death to any exposed creature.
    This engagement resulted in damage, to the American Consulate General, which stands at the intersection of Balderas Street and Avenida Juares. It suffered not more than some of the other buildings, but the bursting shells from the rebel positions rendered the place untenable, and Consul General Arnold Shanklin and his staff, at the suggestion of Ambassador Wilson, evacuated the place and took refuge in the Embassy. Their escape from the building was made at great risk.
    The assault against the rebel positions in this avenue was finally abandoned. What contributed greatly to the rebels' power of resistance was the position of the Young Men's Christian Association building, a seven-story structure, less than two blocks from the arsenal.
    Early in the morning Gen. Diaz appropriated the edifice, routing the foreigners from their rooms and the dormitories, and supplanting the occupants with machine guns and squads of riflemen. Soon from the numerous windows and the roof top the muzzles of automatics were pointed, later to be played with deadly effect on the ranks of the Federals. Most of the foreigners left the building, but a handful remained.
    To make counter attack on this position the rebels placed men with rifles and other machine guns on the roofs of adjoining lofty buildings, one post being the Gore Office Building, while another building occupied was the cable office.
   
Business Buildings Wrecked.
    Although the rebels were not dislodged from the Young Men's Christian Association building, the steel and concrete structure was perforated by bullets, shrapnel and solid shot. Dozens of other buildings in the centre of the city showed early the marks of battle, while some of those in the zone of fire were practically wrecked.
    Gen. Diaz had further fortified his positions by digging trenches across the streets, and notwithstanding the rain of shrapnel his losses were comparatively slight.
    By early afternoon the rebels had extended their zone slightly, but this was more an apparent than a genuine advantage. Before 3 o'clock it was reported that Diaz had forced forward from the arsenal a detachment eastward along San
    Felipe Neri Street toward the district in which the National Palace is located. This movement, however, succeeded for only a short distance and was then contested. Practically all the troops under Diaz were in continuous action, whereas the Government had the advantage of reserves, from which fresh forces were sent to the battle line.
    About the middle of the afternoon Gen. Angeles moved a battery of artillery to the intersection of San Juan de Letran Street, and Independencia Avenue, where it opened a heavy fire on the rebels. This is one of the central business sections of the city, about half a block from the American Club, in which many Americans had congregated.
    A large contingent of rurales did excellent work moving ammunition, and participated in one disastrous charge in the afternoon. Gen. Huerta had ordered a flanking movement down Bucareli Street, the part of the rurales being to cover the placing of a battery of guns. The rurales moved across an intersecting street, but before the guns could be run into position a heavy rifle fire swept through their ranks, and they fell back in disorder. The artillery failed to hold its position.
    Up to this time four attempts had been made to take by assault the position of the rebels, but the Federals were repeatedly repulsed. Gen. Angeles found it necessary to shift his position from time to time, though without material loss.