AMERICA AT WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2802, 21 June 1916, Page 5

AMERICA AT WAR

DECLARATION BY

MEXICO.

MILITIA CALLED OUT

FIGHTING AT MAZATLAN

MORE HUN MISCHIEF

By Tclegraph-Prcs) Assoclation-Cdiyrieit

rm. , r • , Washington,' Juno 19. the Mexican Government in- Yucatan lias declared war on the United States, and has ordered all Americans to leave Mexico.

Ihero has been, some fighting between tuo crew of au American gunboat and. a force oi Carranza's followers at Mazat _ The United Staites has called out the states nuhtitt, numbering 100,000. Fifty thousand regulars, which are aU the troops the United States is able to spare ara now .on th o Mexican bonier. lucre is great excitement throughout ,?u Q0 n * linst tlle Americans. the United States expeditions which have been chasing the Mexican bandit) have been reoalled. It is hinted that German influence is at the bottom of the uprising. THE BELLIGERENTS AND THE ARENA A brief survey of the resources of the prospective belligerents puts the position ns follows :-As recently ago as last month the Brooklyn "Eagle" gave the present distribution of the United States army .as follows:— «i y Lt e Mf' UnMSnteto,y Now in Mexico, with punitive expedition '.... I'OOO On liorder patrol duty '.'.'."".: 22,500 Un duty m Panama .„ - 6100 Stationed in Hawaii 9*853 Stationed in tho Philippines 13,'073 stationed in Alaska 759 Stationed in Porto Rico Z 683 Recruits of last fifty days (many ,sent to the border) 6 071 Left on duty at stations in other ' than border posts ....' 1,000 Total 7i )sgs These 1000 aro distributed: One squadron, Second Cavalrv, at Fort "Iyer, Va., guarding National Capital. • „ x yo squadjorts/ Second , Cavalry, at Fort Ethan Allen, Vt. Three battalions, Third Field Artillery on practice march from Fort Myer to iobynanna, PaOne troop. Thirteenth Cavalrv, Fort luley, Kau. J^°^'Z U ' m coast artillerymen-some %J}a • al i e m $ border force-not included m above figures.) Mexico has been engaged in internal )vifil I>r i^ tlca il y ev , er Bince exit of ~?i7> ?, D i az ' , the cnly man wh « has ever »™» }" « unha PPy ™ mi *y m the strict sense of tho word. Fortunately for Carranza (says a writer in the "Scientific American") he has had the wit to appreciate tho ability of the only true milihad developed among the Mexicans. Geneial Obregon, young, eneTgetic, fearless', and, in spite of many temptations, loyal, has succeeded in uniting the scattered fragments-of the armies of the several dlferent Governments into what appears at least to be an effective whole.'lt is Ins army, estimated at about forty thousand men, all accustomed to campaign, tJmtTorms the military strength of Mexico to-day The equipment is what they can get. i here are field guns from France and Germany, rifles from Germany, from bpatn and from different factories in the united states, machine guns of equally varied models, while the commissariat is what tho women camp followers can buy or forage from the country and cooktor the men after tho day's march. The country is not self-supporting when it comes to munitions. There are four factories m tlie neighbourhood of Mexico Uity, two for small arms ammunition land these for the' Mauser rifles with which tho army was formerly equipped and most of which must be worn out), one for field artillery ammunition, and the fourth practically a repair shop. All aro of limited capacity and dependent upon machines and materials largely imported. With the cessation of:shipment of arms and ammunition from the United States the inevitable end could be easily anticipated. ." How long would it. take the United States to "lick" Mexico? Says Mr; E. J. Mao Hugh in his book,' "Modern Mexico": "The Government of the United' States fully recognises the meghi. tudel. of the task that intervention would entail. It would at once induce the" Mexicans to sink their own differences and combine against the invader. Nothing is more certain about the Mexican than his anti-American feeling. He may be a Huertista, a Carranzista, a Zapatista, or even a 'Fulanist' (for 'anybody), but the leader who secures his adhesion for the timo being must, at any. rate, bo a Mexican. However much they may differ about the conduct of their national affairs, every Mexican who can carry a musket would attach himself to the so-called patriotic liga de Los UlKmos Defensores de la Patria' (the Leagua of the Last Line of Defence'of ths Fatherland). The task before them would not be very easily accomplished. Mexico is nearly as large as the whole of Europe, excluding Russia.. _It is in many .'place* a rugged, mountainous country, with dense forests covering largo areas, Jrher* guerilla warfare could be carried on almost interminably. Tfie only oircum« stance in favour of an invading army it that tho capital of Mexico and most of the large towns and cities- are, situated on the plateaux in comparatively opei» country, or on the coast, where they ar» open to attack from th*e sea."