The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-11-29
oUR NArfoNAL pEFENsEs


IT. Louis Globe DemOcFaf: Gen. w.
B. Franklin comes 10 the front in the
current number OF the North American
Review in Il vigorous protest against
the condition OF NATIONAL defenses, II, In
deed, We have anything OF the kind
worth the name There is nothing new
. Ia what he has 10 say, but there is no
harm done In keeping the subjecs before
the people. They may conclude after u
while that there Is something in Il that
Is worthy attention. As 20 the quo st on
Of our ever having another war with a
foreign power. the reviewer regards il as
only matter of time. There have been
two instances Of late years when war
grumblings were heard once with refer
ence To the Virginia Affais. and once In
Consequence of Mr.. BlaIne's attitude to-
ward Chilli In either case We should not
have been able 10 do anything until We
had taken time TO construct q navy, and
iDIhr meantime our ports were com par
atively helpless even with respect 10
those powers. Gen Franklin writes /:
1t is no exAggeTAtiOn 10 say that there
IL no sea board city In the United States
that could not IT this time be- laid under
contribution by q sihRle hostile IRON
clad sup, which, after receiving the con-
tributions or destroying the city by
bombardment, could quietly steam out
10 sea without danger or damage from
anything which any tort or ship OF the
United States can do" As our business
relations and interests In foreign cOun-
tries are extended, experience teaches US
that 1t 10 inevitable that collisions must
some time arrive, and "when the pun
ishment comes, - Il surely will come II
the same neglect be continued, the peo-
pie will not even have the poor satlsfAc-
ton Of laying the blame on their public
serVants."
The navy and army officers have re-
peatedlY called attention 10 what ought
70 be done, but their words haYe fallen
ON lIstIess ears. The people, General
franklin claims, are primarily At fault,
since Congress Will not act unless there
10 popular pressure for them To do SO
Il IL true that boards have been appoint
ed IN make recommendations with re-
spect IN the navy and coast defenses, bu
with the exception OF what little wa
voted tor new cruisers last winter, NJ
appropriations OF consequence have
been directed as recommended. Thu
recommendations themselves we're NJ
better than those previously made b.
the naval officers, and the appoinImen
itself Of outside commissions argues lAcl
Of condolences In the regular officer
which 10 undeserved and demoralizinl
In its effects. The want or opportunit,
20 become acquainted with the lates
improvements in naval warfare deprive
the service Of the experience Il
make II effective when an emergenc,
does come. Nor Is there anything Xix
an adequate amount Ol war material oil
hand for land lorces If II should become
necessary TO raise an army. Says th
writer: efficient breech-loading small
arms have been manufactured by III
ordnance corps sufficient for the suppl
Of the (smalI, reGular) army aud marIn'
corps. and for a few state. yoluntee
troops. but no store al them has bee
oOllected.p 30 that there is nothing 70
the militia. About the only weapon, !
the improved cOadltion OF which th
United States has kept pace with foreig
powers, Is the torpedo. and al is doub
full whether there IL q sufficient numbe
oltOrpedOes owned BY the United stAtG
to-day 10 defend eliclently one large EEL
port" There il food for reflection In a
these remarks. but the probability
that we snail continue to keep eursslv'
IN condition 10 be snubbed by suC
nations as Chill tor an indefinite perio,