Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-09
THE DEFENsELEss CAPITAL,
The Reflections of an Army Officer
Upon the Possibilities Of War.

The Reflections of an Army Officer
Upon the Possibilities of War.
NOTHING TO PREVENT AN ENEMYS VESSELS FROM
ENTERING THE POTOMAC AND BoMBARpING
wAsHINGTON-wHY TORPEDOEs WOULD BE OF
LITTLE USE - INTERNATIONAL ENTANGLE-
MENTs THAT MAY GROW OUT OF THE PANAMA
| CANAL.
Il saw by the papers the other day that Col
Hains OF the engineer corps. reports Fort Foote
and Fort Washington to be in a most deplorable
condition. and that exactly describes the condi-
ton OF all the defenses of this immense coun-
try. said an army officer to STAR reporter the
other day. The speaker was an officer who has
attained high degree of prominence BY his ex-
tensiye service and general practical knowledge
and the reporter, recognizing this fact, was de-
sirous OF obtaining his views upon the al-lm-
| portant subject of Notifications, and therefore
| had dropped few interrogatories for that pur-
| pose.
I'VE would be entirely at the mercy Of any
power, he continued, 'that might have suffi-
cient grievance to wage war with u.s. for we
could not defend ourselves. Any second-rate
powered send fleet of war vessels to our coast
and play havoc generally. We have been at
peace Tor good many years. and may be for a
SOON
WE WILL PAY DEARLY
for the economy that is and has been practced
with regard to Notifications. There are more
ways than one that would bring about war.
Some international question may arise which
the most diplomatic handling might not settle
peacefully. Then what would be the result. We
would have no difficulty in opposing success
fully any land force. however great But that Ia
not the point 1t is from the water that the
danger Will come. Nothing in the world would
be easier than for some of these monster IRON
ciads to sail into any of our harbOrs or up our
rivers, ana we would be entirely at their mercy.
Ihelr progress could not be stopped. The forti-
hcatiOns that we have would be knocked down
with the first few shots fired. Now, ask what
would stop an enemy from coming right I'D to
Washington. Forts FoOte and Washington are
the only defenses to the capital of great ma
ton.
VISITING FOREIGNERS,
when they take the customary trip to Mount
Vernon can scarcely keep their faces straight
when those forts come in view, but still they
are all we have. There are several gun plat
forms in them without parapets; that is about
ALL Not thing has been done to them for
nearly fourteen years, and when the work was
stopped they were in course OF modification so
that they are out of date. and are capable of
oferlng but little resistance to the guns of the
lron-clad from stem to stern with big guns
peeping out, as he moved up the river, would
pay no more attention to the firing from Fort
Washington or Fort Foote than cow does q
ny. Such vessel could ride right UP to Gies-
borO point and from there could omen fire on
the city with the most disastrous results sup
pose the Capitol and public buildings would be
the first to go down. What beautiful targets
our Capitol and Washington monument would
make. They have gunnery down to pretty
fhn t,-
winch they get these big guns in accurate range
Is astonishing. When the English were bonn
harding Alexandria they could knock off a gun
from the Egyptian Notifications at nearly every
shOt. and. OF course when such thing occurred
great havoc resulted in the Notifications So
often was that the case that the Egyptian gun
hers were afraid to man the guns at all"
ToRPEDOEs AND MONITORS.
But to go back to the big fellow off Gies-
poro point, said The STAR reporter. 'why
couldn't he be prevented from getting up the
Potomac by means of torpedoes:'
'IorpedOes and monitors would be our Only
protection, and all of the latter would probably
be needed elsewhere. and the former would not
avail us in the least without the necessary ar
engagements to make them effective BY that
l mean guns to protect tOrpedocs when laid
! GU might fill this river with torpedoes. and if
there wasn't some means of preventing it, the
enemy would pick them out as fast as laid If
those forts they cOnld perhaps perform such
duty "a that. But when one OF the war vessels
OF the present day is travelling in dangerous
waters. tug is generally sent ahead to drag out
tOrpedoes. A boat more or less may be lost but
then that doesn't amount to anything" NO
sir. continued the officer as he puffed his cigar
1.-THE Notifications in no better condition else
where than they are on the Potomac, There
nave been no funds for keeping these out Of date
forts IN even decent repair, and they are fast 90
ing to decay. Forts Washington and FOOte
would have been very strong and effective at
the beginning OF this century. but they are moth
ing now and would be scarcely more than that
II liked up. Still they might serve to keep the
enemy from dragging out the torpedoes-our
only real defense"
POSSIBILITIES OF WAR.
$50 you think We will have a war;" said the
reporter.
81 think we will get into trouble some time"
was the reply. ''Mexico is pretty close to us,
you know, and we may get into snarl
there, but that wouldn't be SO lad. 1t is
some of these European powers with big navies
that | am thinking Of Questions are ant to
arise on this part of the globe in which they are
as much Interested as we are. Take the inter-
oceanic canal. There is no sure thing that
trouble will not arise from that. The Panama
canal Is going to be built just as sure as any,
thing. believe it and great many others do
also know there are great obstacles in the
"or vi 10 ouCCtSo pul plenty Oh money accom-
pltshes almost everything. Suppose $3.50. OOO. 900
Is spent on it, they will spend that much more
rather than throw it away
How about the Nicaragua canal?" asked the
reporter.
There is nothing to prevent that's being
built also; but it doesn't look much as though
this country will take a hand in it, and trouble
Is Just as apt to arise from the Nicaragua canal
as from the Panama canal With these in the
possession of foreign powers they can do lust
a will hove TO fnl,n
fight, and if we fight we will get whipped We
have no navy, and could offer no resistance on
the water. Then we have no Notifications. and
could not prevent war vessels from entering our
harbors and rivers. The only way in which we
could get ahead would be on land, and that is
just where the enemy will have no need to
come They can do all the damage they want.
and obtain all the concessions desired, without
leaving their ships. This government will real
ize that some day, and. as | said when first be-
gan talking, will pay dearly for the economy of
the present day. After we have been taught
lesson. then we will 60 to the other extreme.
and spend twice as much money as would be
needed to put us in a thorough defensive condi-
tlOn now"