Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-08
THURSDAY, MAY s, 1890.
THE DAwNING OF A NEW ERA.

For great many years past the pub
lie men of the east have been specially
indifferent to the needs of this coast in
the line of Notifications and of a suffi-
cient naval equipment to insure safety
to our principal ports. Although the
engineers of the United States army
have made many and well-sustained
recommendations as to the necessity of
providing proper defensive works for
San Francisco, Puget sound, San Diego,
San Pedro, and other points, these
recommendations have been coldly re-
ceived.
Great interest has been excited in this
matter, of late, and the New York Herald
set lot of its correspondents to inter
viewing public men. Senator Hearst
promptly responded by declaring himself
in favor both of Notifications and line-of-
battle ships. Representative Clunie was
equally emphatic and statesmanlike, and
pointed to the fact that there were now
in the sub-treasury OF San Francisco
60,000, 900, which would be a pretty
good haul for a foreign power. Mr..
Clunie might have added, and probably
did add, that this would be not more
than half the loot that would be reaped
by an enemy with the modern naval
equipment, very shortly after his ap-
pearance at the heads off of San Fran
cisco.
The New York Sun has also been dis
cussing this matter, and that powerful
journal takes the position, in line with
its New York contemporary, the Herald,
that the government of the United
States cannot move too quickly in the
premises. OF course, it does not amount
to much that so obscure journal as the
Los Angeles HERALD has hundred
times taken this ground but we heart
lily welcome our metropolitan contem-
poraries into the fold.
The Sun, in its issue of the 18th ult.,
devotes considerable space to resume
of the testimony of General Nelson \.
Miles on the necessity of immediate and
energetic action in the interest of pro-
tecting the safety and dignity of the
United States as embodied in our prin-
cipal sea-ports. That officer shows that
the plant on this coast available for the
construction of heavy ordnance is
much more extensive than we
had supposed. He says that the cost of
transporting heavy guns across the con-
tinent to be mounted on the Pacific
coast would exceed any additional cost
OF constructing them here, and more
than thousand such guns are needed.
The Pacific Rolling Mills of San Fran
cisco can now cast ingots of steel weigh
ing thirty-seven tons, and for the 12-
inch guns the largest ingots required
weigh but forty tons, while for 1O-inch
guns they weigh only twenty-five. There
is no doubt, accordingly, that the
foundry work for both these calibres in
rifed guns and mortars could be done at
San Francisco, should government fac
tory be built there, like the factories of
Watervliet and Washington, in which to
assemble and finish the parts. General
Miles thinks that fewer than ten of the
guns required for the Pacific coast need
exceed II inches in calibre, and these
few, which are 16-inch guns, proposed
for the entrance to the harbor at San
Francisco, could be sent from the West
Troy factory. The pending bill has
provision for inquiring into the ex-
pediency of establishing gun factory at
Benicia.
Gen. Miles gave vivid picture before
the committee of the absolute defense
lessness of Puget sound, where fortifica-
tions can reconstructed with great ease.
He describes the advances made on
every hand on the Pacific coast. When
he arrived here nine years ago there was
but one transcontinental railway, while
now there are four, with fifth in Can
ada. Then he had to travel 600 miles to
get over his department. He gives
striking sketch OF progress in Washing
ton and Oregon-a progress which has
been more than duplicated in Southern
California-and paints the dangers which
really threaten the United States in case
war should spring up without warning.
We cannot forbear reproducing a portion
of General Miles's testimony:
Agriculture, mining and commerce
have made wonderful progress. Places
where eight years ago there was scarcely
village have now from 10000 to 10000
people. Two large cities have grown up
on the sound, principally in the last six
years, Seattle and Tacoma. Puget sound
is one of the finest harbors in the world.
The Great Eastern could have sailed up
the Straits of Fuca, and so could any
ship in the world. All the fleets of the
world could float on its waters with the
utmost safety. 1t is perfectly protected,
is as smooth as lake, and has an inn
mense depth of water. Over its waters
you can see the flags of nearly every
nation except our own. Occasionally
you see the American flag on those
waters, but you see the English, French,
German, and Chinese much more fre-