The evening times., 1895-12-18

/ tDllSttu ulcu ~, W
None OF the, officials of the War Depart
meBt were willing TO talk to the public
| this morning. s-
1t would be unwise for them to allow
| their names to be used i'll connection with
| interviews ON the present crisis, they
said.
| Ali of them were willing TO talk uB-
officially en- the subject OF Impending war
with England. Said prominen, officer
Of the army 10 The Times reporter.
I'VE all recognize our weakness IN coast
defcnses and IN the size OF our standing
! army. Ii you hear any one say that England
could lick Is out OF cur bco!s,' you may
tell him that he might aCd that II seems
necessary for the people OF the United
States to be licked cut OF their boots Tor
about three years before they rouse them
selves 10 provide proper coast deichses
Another officer vi tDe army was asked
il he really expected war.
ENGLAND WILL. YIELD.
"No, 1 do not" be replied promptly, 'for
England will back down. Do you suppose
that Great Britain cares 10 have 6cr mil
lions on 'miilfbns in commercial interests
In this country, swept away? Not at al.
1t would bel too vastl a sacrifice Con-
fiscatioDs amounting TO millions of, dol
lars would be,made on British property
in this country fu a twinkhng-" -'
what would be the Immediate modus
operaDdi OF cur military fnrce if war should
be declarcd?" ,1-
THAT would depend on several condi-
tionS, chiefly the scene of conflict. II hos
ti!ities were transferred to Venezuela. IL
would be the havy first of all. There we
are comparatively weak. of course; but we
are weak IN number of guns for coast de
fcnse and for land, warfare. too. The Pii-
a,I., la..S ctr hon al
once. This war talk is not unexpected.
The military authorities have predicted it
fur years. Any one could See that the con-
ditions were gradually working up TO this
thing"
GEN. RUGGLEs' VIEWS.
a year ago iAdjt. Gen. Ruggies wrote as
follows IN the North American Review:
'.We must recognize tbs fact that The ar
tillery defense is a pressing and Immediate
necessity. Our British neighbors already
threaten our entire seacoast, immediately
at our doors, froln Halifax on nthencrth, from
Bermuda ON the south, in whnse Capdcieus
harhor the entire British army can find
rendezvous, from the Bahamas, along our
Gulf coast, from the British West Indian
stations, on the Pacific, from EsguiIla ult
in Rritis Columbia. We are thus surround
ed by Gordon OF British posts from which
within forty-eigat hours British enemy
can be launched upon our shores.
I'VE must appreciate the fact that while
during the Revolutionary war armies from
Europe were placed upon our soil after six
weeks passage, the transit of the Atlantic
can now be accomplished ill less than six
weeks.
I'VE can no longer rest in the assurance
that because We outnumbeT and live at
peace with our Canadian and Me xican neigh
bOrS, and are separated by great stretches
OF water from other nations, we may fear
no harm.
And. independently of the disgrace which
would come to US as nation by the sue
cessfui bombardment by eD enemy of any
one of our sea coast cities, the cost in
money and the disaster which would thus
be effected in q few days would far ex-
ceed the expense Of proper defense for
years"