The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-12-24
NEW LONDON IN WAR.
The Strategic Value of Il Connecticut City
in the Defense of New York.

in the Defense of New York.
Navy officers who have studied the
region have often and urgently pressed
upon their department the Importance of
developing the station at New London
and making it efficient. One must ad-
mire their energy and faithfulness in
continuing to lay before their superiOrs
the vital importance of strengthening
this strategic base in the outer defense
of New York in the face Of long con
tiuued p~igeonholing of reports. That
their anxiety is not unfOunded becomes
plain when we consider hat Great
Britain has a powerful station at Hall
fax, from which, if so disposed, she
could hurI her thunderbOlts Of maritime
wal upon this unprotected spot at very
short notice, precisely a. she could
strike our South Atlantic coast from the
Bahamas. She may even wish to
do either thing, but isn't it rather fool
ish to remain unprepared for the blow
when we have ample for es-
tabiishiny a guard against it?
The amount Of trade that passes
through Long Island sound cOastWise is
hardly conceived Of by the majority of
citizens. 1t amounts to a great many
million dollars worth a year, and all
this trade could be paralyzed by a-quick
stroke from a foreign navy. In 1880 the
entire munitions Of war manufactured
in the United States amounted to Sill
100000. OF this total, So, 900 600 worth
was manufactured in Connecticut alone.
A foreign fleet in the sonnd, therefore,
would be able to deprive US of our main
source Of munitions without even at
tempting to attack New York.
Cut off a city's supply of air and what
would it matter whether that city sur
rendered or not? Shut off from New
York in wal time nine elevenths of the
material it needed for war and it would
be as helpless as a city without air to
breathe. But this is not ALI An enemy
in the sound could cut at New London
and again at New Haven, the chief lines
of land communication and railroad
transportation between New England
and New York.
If Of the loss which would thus be
caused a small percentage were now to
be promptly applied to building up New
YOrk's outer line of defense, with a
strong navy yard at New London as its
base, the whole cost would be betrayed
in a few years without inconvenience to
any one In time of action, while our
battle ships and cruisers patrOlled the
Race or engaged the enemy, with sup
port from the forts, u monitors, emerg-
ing from New London, would Turk safe
ly behind Fishers island, prepared t.
assist; for there again, on the north face,
nature faVOrS us with the sheltered wa
tiers of Hay harbOr and West harbOr. In
case Of injury, vessels could quickly run
into New London, and repair at the navy
yard. Thus, while the surroundings and
topography are not the same as those Of
the entrance to the Mediterranean, we
should still have what might well be
called can American Gibraltar" quite
as invulnerable as the stronghold at the
pillars Of Hercules, and much greater in
range.
Boston can be equipped efectually to
defend herself; and Newport also, if
fortified, is in a position to ward off al
enemy. But neither of these, by so do
ing, can help to defend New York. New
London, on the other hand, if her nat
ural advantages are utilized, can repel
any attack on New York from the east,
and thereby relieve the metropolis from
dread in that quarter. It is we'll, it is
indispensable, to protect New York from
assault by way Of the Narrows. But
what will it avail to bar that small front
door if the broad real entrance through
tine SOTD6 no left .
Lathrop in Harper's Weekly.