The Portland daily press., 1895-11-15
SEABOARD DEFENSELESS.
Admiral Calls Attention to the Need
Of Fertifieations.
THE ATLANTIC COAST ESPECIALLY
NEEDS ATTENTIO

oItiaAu LS1ShNSSS ''----
Would Happen in War With Great
Britain-The Chief Topic Among Army
and Navy Oficers-How America
Might Be Supreme ON This Continent
Admiral Walkers Suggestions.
Washington, November 1.-THE de-
fenceless condition of the American coast,
which the general Of the army has recent
ly elaborated with much precision of de-
tail, is for the moment, the principal
subject of conversation among army and
navy officers.
General Miless declaration that Eng
land, notwithstanding her great navy,
would be practically helpless against d
powerful adversary but for her system OF
coast defences, is fully Endorsed by both
branches of the service,
Admiral John 6. Walker, who repre-
sents the progressive element of the new
navy, regards coast defences and navy
as the complement of each other. Thai
is to say no great country can protect it,
self without both systems of defence.
What Admiral Walker says in this
connection is signifnct not only because
OF his knowledge of military matters, but
| for the further reason that he believes a
war between the United States and
strong European power would demon
strate how badly this country Is prepared
for such an encounter.
II am a good American, +" said Admiral
| Walker, this morning, but cannot
shut my eyes to cold facts. We are not
prepared today to enage in war with any
! first class power. We are in the position
that China occupied IN her recent d.
population, great wealth, boundless re-
| sources and intense patriotism. But we
cannot maintain an offensive or defensive
attitude against any one of half a dozen
foreign countries What Gen. Miles says
about the defenseless condition Of our
coast cities is entirely correct. 1t is true
that New York and San francisco are
better protected than our other CONNER
cial cities, but even they would be help
less against the assaults OF dozen
powerful ironclads So far as the re-
manning cities are concerned they have
no protection whatever.
"What do you think the government
ought to do?"
congress ought to make liberal APP
LUZ COftSU oclCACOo oAo LII
additional ships of war. More than any
thing else we need strong navy. II we
had dozen battleships OF the Indiana
class on the Atlantic coast we could defy
as powerful a maritime country AS Great
Britain. We have now four battleships
building and two others have been APP
propriated for We need at least seven
more. If Congress would vote the money,
two of these ships ought to be given to
the Cramps, two to the HunStington yard
at Newport News, one to the Union Iron
Works at San Francisco and the others
ought to be built at the navy yards at
Brooklyn and Norfolk. With anything
like fair system of coast defence We
would then be beyond the probability OF
war There would be- no more Corinto
incidents, no more talk OF foreign
aggressions on Am erican soil. The
United States would I've pre-eminent on
the American continent. The greatest
preventive against war is to be fuzzy pre-
pared for it,"
'tWhat about the Pacific coast?"
"I hree battleships would be sufficient
of trouble there, might be with the
countries to the south of us, and three
such vessels would amply protect US from
their assaults"
''Then you don't think we are prepared
for war at PRESENT."
1--WE are very far from it, Our ships are
the best of their class in the world, but
W. have not enough of them. We neod
more fighting ships, battleships. The
battleship is to the navy what the in
fantry is to the army. 1t is the fighting
part of the navy But it should be sup
plemented b. torpedo boats, coast defence
vessels and swift cruisers just as the in
fantry is made more effective by the en-
ployment of calvary and artillery. The
battieship is not needed in times of
peace, but it is Indispensable in case of
war. When not actively engaged it can
be laid up in ordinary and the police
work of the ocean can be performed by
small gunboats which would not be
effective in battle, but which are useful
to carry tho flag. This is the policy pur-
sued by Great Britain, who sends her
gunboats abroad while her powerful iron
ciads which are more expensive to keep
in commission remain en- the home
stations. -
"Could Great Britain, for example,
send all her navy to the United States in
the event of war between the two
countries?"
"No, | doubt if she could send half of
her vessels, for she cannot leave her in
terests in other parts of the world unpro-
tected. But even part of her great navy