The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-13
OUR DEFENCELEss COASTS.
General Miles Points Ont tho Weakness OF
the United states.

UASuINGTON. Nov. 1.-THE annual
ronor, ~ General Miles, commanding the
army has been made public. The per-
sonnel ia shown to be In excellent con-
dition. well-instructed, and ATTENTIVE 10
dutv. General Niles believes tnat the
peaceable conditions now ehistihg aihons
,r,h,,,ahla 10 the presence OF troops at
s,,,,ahie noints. and to the admirable
conduct Of the experienced army oncers
,,,bo are nlaced ia charge OF the prin-
Irnder the head of coast defence, Gen.
Miles states the condition or these de-
fences is such as to require decided and
immediate action for their Improvement
The unguarded condition OF our coast Is
known by every hrst-ciass power, anu
orr neonie should not be led into false
security He quotes from his report OF
1894 a strong argument for the defence
az Puget Sound: shows that since that
time new Canadian railroad connections
have been established there. yet not
single gun has been placed In position
for defence. while those at the entrance
OF the Columbia are obsolete and OF
little value.
General Miles recalls what he said In
his report of 1889 upon the absolute I'M
portance OF the defence of the entire Pa
cinc coast in view of the fact that 1t
was possible for any naval power to
blockade every important port within
ninety days, while 1t would take many
wears to make n successful resistance. and
the country might required TO pay an
Indemnity Of five billion dollars. While
the railroads might transport million
brave men to the coast, they would be
useless without the appliances 10 cope
with the modern engines OF war. and,
with all our intelligence. pride. inventive
genius, and enterprise, we are as Far
behind in the modern appliances of war
as China or Japan.
Such were the conditions six years
ago, says General Miles. and such are
| the conditions to-day, with the exception
| of the slight progress made at San Fran
cisco. The entire Gulf coast. and all
| the great cities of the Atlantic coast
northward TO Philadelphia. are entirely
| without modern guns. In position are
| a few obsolete guns. and none OF these
! batteries could stop a single nrst-class
| war-ship, much less a fleet. Some pro-
| gress has been made at New York, but
| like San Francisco. only a small part OF
the project has been accomplished
| General Miles, Ia support Of his rec
! emmendation for adequate coast defences
points TO the fact that the batteries at
| Moultrie and Sumter kept at bay fol
| four years the most powerful navy Of In,
world. He says that our people cherish
: two misleading delusicns-first, that tor
! pedoes can be depended upon 10 protec
our coasts, and. second, that It's 400
miles of coast can be defended by a navy
! He shows that torpedo plants are nse
| less without protective batteries. and tha
| the water in our principal harbors is =,
| deep that light-draft war vessels nigh
| pass over torpedo mines without danger
| He asserts that the recent manoeuvre
| in England have shCvl that even III,
| powerful British navy is unable L
defend the British coast against "A foreigl
| feet: therefore. he argues that the mai,
reliance must be upon coas
| batteries.
While he does not anticipate war II
| the near future, he shows that i'm th
last two hundred years, I'm less than /
per cent. Of the wars has there bee
any formal warning or declaration be
fore hostilities, and as 10 would reauir
years of time TO construct modern weau
ons Of war. 1t would be dnwise 10 disre
gard the lessons OF history in our ow
country. for nearly two hundred year
there has never been period OF thirty
five years I'm which 1t has not been in
volved in war. He points TO the cas-
Of China, which made the fatal mistak
Of relying upon its vastly superior mum
bers for safety. and argues that the hes
guarantee of peace is a condition of read
ness for war