Prepare To Rush Troops To Mexico.

New York Times 100 years ago today, February 12, 1913:
After Midnight Conference with Cabinet Taft Orders Transports to be Prepared.
MORE BATTLESHIPS GOING
President Says, He Will Not Intervene Unless Anarchy Comes and Foreigners Are Endangered.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Feb. 12.— Preparations for the instant dispatch of United States troops to Mexico City in case the situation there should grow any worse were made early this morning at a conference at the White House, in which these persons took part with President Taft: Secretary of State Knox, Secretary of War Stimson, Secretary of the Navy Meyer, Gen. Wood, Chief of Staff of the Army; Brig. Gen. William Crozier, President of the War College; Brig. Gen. James B. Aleshire, Chief of the Quartermaster's Corps of the army, and Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske of the Inspection Department of the navy.
    It was also decided to send three additional battleships at once to the east coast of Mexico.
    Orders will be issued at once to place in commission two army transports for the transport of troops to Mexico City for the protection of the lives of Americans and foreigners.
    Orders for a more general movement of troops and warships to Mexico were also prepared by the military and naval officers present when the conference adjourned. Everything done was in the direction of preparation for military intervention.
     Shortly before 2 o'clock Secretary Hilles issued the following statement:
    "After a conference called by the President with the Secretaries of State, War, and Navy, it was not believed that the news from the City of Mexico required any action of an affirmative character other than to order three more battleships to Vera Cruz.
    "These, including the one ordered to Tampico, will make four battleships on the Gulf side of Mexico, or one division of the fleet, under the command of an Admiral.
    "The War Department will hold itself in readiness, but no affirmative action was directed to be taken by the Secretary of War except to put two transports now at Newport News in commission. These transports will receive troops should further action be deemed necessary.
    "The purpose is merely to take precautionary steps to protect Americans and foreigners in the City of Mexico should conditions of violence continue and anarchy succeed.
    "The attitude of the Government is still strong against intervention, and it was determined to take no step at this time which would commit us to such a policy, and to take only the reasonable precautions to meet an exigency which it is earnestly hoped and believed will not arise."
    President Taft called the conference shortly after midnight, following the receipt by him of press dispatches from Mexico City, telling of the shelling of the American Consulate General there.
    The President spent last evening at the  home of Attorney General Wickersham, where there was a dinner party, and it was on his return to the White House after midnight that he received his first news of those late developments in Mexico City. He was greatly disturbed by the news. President Taft's anxiety was said to have been increased by a rumor received from Mexico City that Ambassador Wilson had been forced to flee from the embassy.
    No confirmation of this report was obtained through official sources. From the time of his return at midnight, after seeing a few official dispatches, until nearly 1 o'clock he had dispatches read to him over the telephone from The Associated Press in addition to official dispatches which continued to come in from Mexico City. He then summoned the Cabinet officers, who assembled at 1:30 o'clock.
    Only one dispatch was received up to late yesterday from Henry Lane Wilson, the Ambassador to Mexico. It said that the situation remained without change.
    Mr. Wilson asked the State Department to make a public statement to assure every one in the United States that no Americans had lost their lives or been at any time molested in any way. The report published Monday that three Americans were killed in the fight on Sunday night between the mob and the regulars Mr. Wilson denied.
    The Navy Department was informed yesterday that the battleships selected by Rear Admiral Badger, commanding the Atlantic Fleet, for the protection of Americans at Vera Cruz and Tampico, were the Virginia and the Georgia, the former commanded by Capt. John D. McDonald and the latter by Capt. Marbury Johnston. They started from Guantanamo yesterday morning. The Georgia is due to reach Tampico next Saturday and the Virginia to reach Vera Cruz on Friday. Rear Admiral Southerland telegraphed the department that the armored cruiser Colorado left San Diego yesterday morning and would reach Mazatlan next Friday. The South Dakota sailed later from the same port.
    The officers in command of the battleships and cruisers sent to the various Mexican ports have been instructed broadly as to the course they are to pursue when they arrive at their destinations. It is not contemplated that they will land forces or display any disposition to do more than put themselves in touch with Americans, wherever they find them, and render aid if called upon to do so. If any American citizen presents himself and asks to be taken aboard he will be received and protected. The same protection will be shown to the citizens of any country.