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I GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAT. There are twelve bubonic plague cases in Havana. The condition Of Kniperor Francis Joseph, of Austria, is causing much concern. State troops have been sent from Denver M cope With the serious situation in the mining district , near Trinidad. Jacob Riis is in a serious condition. He has | valvular tronhle of the heart. Fpoii the joint recommendation of Secretaries Lane ami Garrison. President Wilson has withdrawn I four trails of public land in Alaska for military i reservations. The areas withdrawn are ntoaainenl points of navigable waters on the Alaska coast having strategic value for the protection of coal 8c Ml and railroads. Water has been turned into the Cape Cod ship canal connecting Massachusetts Bay and Buzzards Bay. August Belmont is president of the corporation that built the canal and by July is Is expected to be in condition to permit the passage of vessels drawing twelve feet of water. The ultimate depth will be twenty-five feet. The construction of tin canal will save vessels the long and perilous trip around Cape Cod. The Mexican Crisis. It seems likely that the Mexican Constitutionalists will make common cause with lluerta against American Intervention. Carransa has formally protested lo Washington against the occupation ol Vera Crna and has asked tor iN early evaluation. This probably means that the United Stales will be toned to inaugurate a combined land and sea ran: paiga mi a scale thai will necessitate the calling out of a huge volunteer army. Carranzas action is a great disappointment to President Wilson, who had been led by John l.iml to believe thnt he could count on the co-operation of tin- Constitutionalists. In fact, it is said to have been President Wilsons inn Ution to turn Vera Cruz over to the Constitutionalists and Tampico, as well, when taken. It is estimated that a total of 135,000 Mexicans are under arms SOW, counting all factious, and their numbers will lie greatly augmented at once, in all probability. Against this, the Dnlted States lias some 50,000 regulars available for immediate dun . in addition to naval forces of about 2...000. Of course the equipment of the Mexicans is antiquated as compared with that of our troops. Charge oshaughnessy telegraphed the state departments yesterday that he had ln-en given his passports and will leave the Mexican capital for Van Crna at once. lluerta is taking special pains to safeguard him from attack while he remains in Mexico. Rear Admiral Fletcher otlicially reports the American casualties at Vera Crna as seventeen dead and seventy-three wounded. While there is a disposition among foreign diplomats to criticise the failure of the Americans to give formal notice of the movement against Vera Cruz as constituting a breach of internatinal law. the representatives of every European nation of Importance have given aasurances to the American department of state of sympathy with the purpose of this country to restore pence and order in Mexico. The answer of the stale deportment to the criticisms referred to is thai a state of war docs not yet exist between Mexico and the United States and that the action so far taken cannot be construed as anything more than an act of reprisal. The shelling of Veia Cruz was Justified by the attacks made upon our naval forces, it is the Contention. Side tary Bryan has assured the German ambassador that Admiral Fletcher exceeded his instructions when he prevented the German steamer Ypiranga from entering Pen Cruz harbor. Iuless a stale at war is admitted the United States has no right to Interfere with merchant ships. President Wilson is ignoring the advice of the ai my ami navy board in carrying on his campaign for the elimination of lluerta. The members of the board. Composed of the highest strategists ol" the army and navy, advised a sudden coup to overthrow lluerta. The presidents idea, suggested by John I.ind. is to take otic port after another until lluerta has nothing left. This probably will give way to a movement on a much greater scale now that actual war stems imminent. Governor Johnson of California, has ordered nine companies of militia to the border near San Diego for duty as a patrol. The residents of the local in claimed that the regulars on duty there would lie Inadequate to protect them. Mexico City, April 2-" . — General lluerta has given out the following statement to the press: "Mexico is defending not only her national sovereignty, but that of all Latin America as well. This is nit a war between the Mexican and American peoples. but between Mexico ami tin- government of the United States, which is controlled by men who have forced thi-i situation Upon us iu spite of our efforts to ihe contrary. We shall have 4oo, hh nun iu ihe field in twenty dnys." The American Mag of truce was repeatedly violated during the lighting at Vera Cruz, according lo dispatches received by the Nav department. A Washington dispatch says that eiders have gone forth for the seizure of the railroad between Pen Cruz and the City of Mexico. A movement of Mexican Constitutionalist tro,.ps from Chihuahua to Juarez is reported. Word has reached the War Department at Wash tagton that the Federals and Constitutionalists have combined at Tampico to oppose any Auiericau Bg-giession. The War Department has burned orders to reestablish at ome the i mharg on arms and ammunition from this country into Mexico. At El Paso American soldiers seized 265,000 cartridges consigned to General Villa. ft merit" an mm lot a ami bluejackets yesterday took possession of breastworks three miles inland from Vera Cruz on the railroad to Mexico City. They had been occupied bv Mexican troops following the capture of Vera Cruz. Plans are being made for the seizure of the railroad for a considerable distance and especially of two long bridges, which a recounoitering party found still Intact and which it is feared the Mexicans may destroy. There is a report that the Mexicans an- bringing up reinforce, incuts for an attack upon the American naval forces at Pen Cruz. The Tebnantepec Railroad across Mexico has been closed aud the Hawaiian Steamship Co. has given notice that its ships will 1m- diverted to Panama while the trouble iu .Mexico lasts. Scnor ligsra, the Mexican charge at Washington, was given ids passports yesterday. Than all diplomatic relations between Mexico and this country have bet ll se-. ered. The Senate appropriated $.VKUHV for transiKirting American citizens from Mexico to their homes in ibis country. Hnertaa soldiers yesterday confiscated a lot of machine guns, rides and cartridges that had been stored at the American legation in Mexico City for use in the event of an anti-American riot. Mexican soldiers are guarding the embassy. President Wilson issued a statement declaring-the intention of the United States to enforce reparation, ••whenever and wherever the dignity of the Fnited States is flouted." In replv to the message from the Constitutionalist chief. Carranza, the statement declared that "We are now dealing only with those whom lluerta commands and those who cotne to his support." Rear Admiral Robert M. Doyle, commanding tha Pacific reserve fleet, has been ordered to rendezvous his ships at Mazatlan. on the west coast of Mexico. Zapata, t he Mexican insurgent who controls considerable territory south of Mexico City, has said he will take the neid agaiust the American forces.
