Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-08
AT THE MERCY OF THE FOE.
A Naval Officer Talks About Our Defense.
lessness in War.


Naval Officer Talks About Our Defense
lessness in War.
EIGN INvAsION-THE ENEMY COULD ATTACK US
ON THE COAST OR BY WAY OF CANADA AND WE
COULD NOT STOP HIM.
'The question how this country could defend
itself in case Of our being attacked by foreign
power Is exciting great deal of discussion
just at present" said naval officer OF distinc-
ton this morning to writer for The STAR.
but my opinion is that it will not bring forth
any effective fruit in the shape of actual pre-
cautions against war such as are necessary.
Nothing short of actual disastrous expert
ence will ever wake up the American people to
the point of real action in this matter We. as
a nation, are intensely and fatuously imbued
with the belief that no power would dare at
tack us or could even in case of a fight, have
any chance of success. There is an awful lesson
in store for Brother Jonathan some day. You
read IL great deal in the newspapers about the
fabulously expensive standing armies of Eu-
rope. but the fact is that the United States
spends larger sum annually on account of
war than does Germany, which has notoriously
the most costly military establishment in the
consequent upon a conflict which ended
twenty-five years ago, thinking it not worth
while to make expenditure against future
contest of arms that is likely to half ruin us.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
"Plentv of talk Is made about twisting the
British lions tail, but if that formidable beast
should really take a notion to lift his paw.
where should we be? Within a week a fleet of
monster war ships would be lying outside of
SANDY Hook. holding absolutely at its mercy
the metropolis and financial heart of the couri-
try. There will be nothing to do in such case
but to accede to any demand which might be
made and TO solicit peace ut whatever price
was asked. New York bay has Il very fair svs-
tenn of torpedo defense. but it woald not serve
as the slightest protection. The irOncad YES
sells could lie outside in the ocean 9 miles away
and wipe ont the entire city at its leisure with
shot and shell. At the same time Boston. New
Orleans, Washington and the other important
towns along the seabOard would be threatened
in like manner. and another fleet of warships
would enter the mouth of the st. Lawrence
river and steam swiftly toward the great
interior lakes. For the very purpose of ac-
comp1ishing such a move as this last the British
have already built though Ostcnsibly for pur-
poses OF traffic, a most costly system Of canals,
through which they can push their way quickly
to the lakes before it would be possible to get
troops up there to destroy the works. Our
first movemeEtin case of war would necessarily
be to try and get control of this highway in
order to blockade it: but we should have no
chance of accomplishing this purpose before
the hostile fleet had got by. and then it would
be too late. All this has been carefully planned
and projected by English military strategsts
Their forts on the Canada side are nearer
the canal than ours. and any attempt to
add to our garrisOns would be immedi-
ately followed by an increase of force
by the British. We take it for granted
that it would be easy enough to beat the Cani-
dams, but We should quickly discover that this
is a mistak,. Canada has military organiza-
ton of its own which has been brought to the
highest perfection. Her army may be said to
include every able-bOdied man in the country.
lnasmuch as every male citizen who is able to
take the field may be called out for duty at any
time and at a moments notice. Within dav
almost the skcletonized regiments. brigades
and divisions would be filled up 20 full fighting
strength under command of skilled officers and
armed with the most improved weapons. IN
side Of a week 100000 rifles dispatched from
England by fGst-steaming vessels would be
added to the large stores OF arms now kept in
readiness for Use in Canada and the regiments
of the Kanucks would be marching with them
on their shoulders.
LOOK AT TIL SITUATION.
'Just figure to yourself the situation Pow
erful fleets blockading all our seaports and
holding all the big eastern cities at the mercy
of their guns Half dozen ironclads lying off
the lake front of terrified Chicago and threat
ening Detroit large arEIy, completely Or
ganized and equipped threatening our north
crn border. Why. what could We do! Pay:
that is what we could do. Pay anything that
might be asked to brlbe these awful fighters to
go away and not hurt us. Ii they wanted
slice of United States territory they would have
to have it.
I've are fond of Boosting Of the resources
of the country and of how they could be
Turned to account in the event of war Rnt rr-
sources do not create an army on-hand. An
army of unframed volunteers is a mob. The
veterans of the late are getting old men
do not make effective soldiers in the field after
fifty. Our privateers. it is often said. would
prev upon British commerce. | wonld like to
know how. 10 begin with. the privateers
would have to be built. Unfortunately. the
enemy would have secured immediate pos
session of every ship yard and they would not
be likely to permit the construction Of these
ships. Even if they were good enough to al
low the favor. their swift steam vessels. power
fully armed. of which they have hundreds.
would simply lie in wait and gobble up every
privateCr that put its nose out to sea-
Surprising that the bran-new priva-
tcer succeeded in getting through the
blockade and reaching the open ocean. where
would they get coal to steam with! England
has cOaling stations all over the world. but we
have none. She can get all the fuel she wants
for naval operations on this side OF the Atlantic
right off our own coast, ut the Bermudils which
are her property. As for an army, we might
get one together and properly organized in q
year. but the war would be finished before
thirty days were up. The country would be
half ruined by the payment OF u vast indem-
nifty, and steps would about that time be be-
ginning to be considered for the establishment
Of system of national defense"
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS-.