The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-09
Our IlI-Ouarded Coasts.

Correspondent Curtis, in the Chicago
Record, is reminded by the recent re-
vival of interest in the coast defense
problem of a conversation he had last
summer, in China. with Ii Hung Chang.
the Chinese Bismarck. 1t was just af-
ter the drubbing of China by Japan,
and Lis Oriental mind, prodded by that
disheartening circumstance to unwont-
cd activity, became possessed of the
notion that the United States would
have interviewed in China's behalf but
for it's fear of Japan. Mr.. Curtis tried
the great viceroy of this singular hal
lucination, but to no purpose For
every argument that Mr.. Curtis would
advance Ii Hung Chang had a counter
one at his tongues tip. For example
he said:
Japan has an army of over 2OO,-
900 soldiers and the best guns in the
world. She has larger and better fleet
Of warships than the United States She
has ten times as many torpedo-boats as
your government and her sailors know
how to use them while your sailors do
not. You have only five ships on the
Pacific coast, with q coast line of 5000
miles to protect, and several populous
and wealthy cities that have no de-
fenses whatever. You have no forts at
San Francisco that could keep out the
weakes. gunboat in the navy Of Japan
and n single ship of the Japanese navy
could destroy every city on Puget sound
without the slightest difficulty in
week 1t would take you six months to
get any kind of fleet around to protect
your Pacific coast, and you could not
load them with coal enough to keep
their fires going during the voyage from
New York to San Francisco. Your
whole Pacific coast Is entirely defense
wise in declining to be mixed up in a
row with Japan. If Japan should de-
clare war against the United States she
could have every soldier in her army
and every ship in her navy on your
coast within q month. She would take
possession of all your cities and your
railroads and your gold and silver
mines and your manufactures and
would hold them until you paid her
any amount of indemnity she might
ask"
Mr.. Curtis told the viceroy that while
his description of the defenseless condi-
ton of our coast was undoubtedly true,
there would be 100000 men on the Pa
cific coast to meet the japanese army
and fleet when 1t arrived there. THAT
may be So" he interrupted. with some
impatience, but what could they do
without guns or Notifications or any
other means of defense? You might
throw sticks and stones at the Jap
one of their vessels could lombard San
Francisco and destroy the entire city
before you could get cannon there to
defend it. And what could your can
non do against the long-range guns of
the Japanese fleet? Their vessels could
stand out ten miles at sea and throw
shells of dynamite into San Francisco
until the city was entirely destroyed.
Their vessels could go up into Puget
sound and burn Tacoma and Seattle
and other cities. and they could send
torpedo-boats up the Columbia river to
Portland and set that city on fire before
you could do anything to'protect. You
cannot get big cannon made in few
days. and you cannot build fort in a
month"
All this may look absurd to inland
Americans yet. after all, is it not to
large extent true? 1t certainly will not
be denied that the great cities along
both our coasts are Ill prepared to re-
sist sudden, dashing onslaught by
airy foreign foe. Perhaps such an on
slau yht is not to be expected. At the
same time, we ought as a nation to be
ready for any and all emergencies; and,
now. during peace, is the time to pre-
pare.
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