The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-31
Catching Americans Unawares.

Catching Americans Unawares.
| There is altogether too much truth
| for comfort in the picture which Mr..
| Lodge drew in the senate yesterday OF
| England's enterprise in capturing stra-
tegic points wherever they are to be
found and of her liberality in fortifying
and equipping those points so as to give
her every possible advantage in the
event of war with any country The
same line of thought was lucidly car
ried out a day or two ago, by MI. E.
| Greenough Scott in two-column con-
| tribution to the Wilkes-Barre Times.
| The burden of Mr.. Scott's argument, as
| of Senator Lodges was that while the
United States has been seemingly in
different to these things, England,
| through her all-encircling merchant
marine and her vigilant and not over
scrupulous diplomatic establishment,
has never missed an opportunity to Sc
cure 4 new coigne of vantage.
Starting with Halifax. (which has a
harbor capable of holding the entire
| British navy and citadel in a COM
pletc state of defence" Mr.. Scott takes
| his readers by imagination around a
circuit of Englands Notifications in
this hemisphere. 1t is worth our while
to follow him, beginning at the Ber-
mudas:
These islands, says Mr.. Scott, are not
| only fortified and garrisoned. put are
equipped with dry-docks adequate for the
| repair or fitting out of large fleets. Every
vessel that leaves our coast for Europe or
comes thence, as far south as Charleston,
must pass between Halifax and Bermuda.
These possessions threaten our whole
northern coast. 1t Is a short step to the
Bahamas which lie off Florida and which
! command the entrance of the Gulf of Mex
leo. The name of their chief port. Mas
sau, is enough to recall from the past of
our own war their capacity for mischief.
How many people in the United States
have heard of Largo? Very few Largo
is a bank or reef lying midway in the
channel between Florida and Cuba. The
British flag flies over it, for Great Britain
possesses it, has light house there, and
can fortify ii at her pleasure. A short
sail around the east end OF Cuba, and we
come to Jamaica, with Kingston harbor
and a territory sufficient to supply large
force-a few days sail from jamaica lands
one at the British Belize, which is on the
continent. Both Jamaica and Belize are
in dangerous proximity to the mouths of
the Mississippi and the Bluetields incl
dent Is fresh In our recollection.
IT, instead of going to Jamaica from the
Bahamas, we keep outside. in the Allan
tic. and follow the Windward Islands. We
shall pass several that are occupied by
Great Britain, until we wind up with the
Barbados, between which and the coast
of South America flows channel that
can be crossed In day, and from which
by a short voyage British Guiana Is
gained. One of these islands is of very
great Importance; 1t Is Santa Lucia, and
some day our people will wake up to the
fact that while they have had their eyes
fixed on Gibraltar another fortress like
unto 1t has been constructed on this spot
and under their very noses. This place
commands the contiguous Atlantic on one
side and on the other the Caribbean Sea.
1t threatens tho whole northern and
northeastern coast of South America, IN
Guiding the valley of the Orinoco and
Venezuela itself. From its capaciOus har-
Dor the largest fleets can sail, to ii they
can return, and in it they can reft and
rest in perfect security. Where is our
Santa Lucia? General Grant did his best
to catch and keep San Domingo when 1t
was flung at us, but, between his lack of
tact and Summers sself-sufiiciency, we are
without Santa Lucia today. San Do
mingo would have broken the British
chain. They manage these things better
in Downing street.
These stations are all upon open seas;
even Halifax having a port that Is open
the year round. The capacity for harbor-
ing warships there is llimitable, and on
several of the islands there Is a space for
fntrenched camps on a formidable scale.
At Halifax n host could be supplied from
the surrounding country. and In Jamaica.
respectable force, to be maintained for
reinforcement, could be supplied from the
island. If the transports are loaded and
the men and material are on board in the
Mersey, these can be delivered into the
Notifications of Halifax in ten days, and
those of Bermuda in twelve days. At Hal
flax effective forces of British troops
would be within thirty hours of our bor-
der and the British fleet would be within
sixty hours of the Main ports, Including
Portland, and of the New Hampshire and
Massachusetts ports, one of which, 1t will
be well to bear In mind, Is Boston, a city
that Is set not on "a hill. but on several
hills. thus presenting a field of exceptional
susceptibility to devastation, and a city
which, including one at least of its i'm
portant suburbs, Charlestown, the seat of
navy yard. can be approached until the
muzzles of the enemy's guns can touch Tho
wharfsheds. Thus the destructive power
or Great Britain can be placed, on out
break OF war, within sixty hours steaming
of New England's eastern front. a line of
coast without adequate defence, for TODAY
there Is not single high power gun north
OF New York harbor or south Of 1t.
But this is only part of the account.
Returning to Halifax, we observe that IL
Is connected with the st. Lawrence by the
lnter-colonial railway, and 1t is to be
noticed. too. that st. John, New Bruns-
wick, is likewise SO connected by a rail-
road, which, ascending the st. John river.
unites with the 1nter-colonial at Rjviere
du Loup. on the ST. Lawrence about 100
miles below Quebec. In consequence of
the Trent" imbroglio. several thousand
British troops marched up the valley of
the 81. John unhindered. and what has
been done once may be done again nar-
icularly since the railroad has Increased
the facility for doing so.
There Is no need Of dwelling on Quebec.
whose strength is well known. At the out.
let or Lake Ontario, we find the strong
post Of Kingston, the seat of n military
school which the Canadians regard as
another West Point. This post commands
the north channel through which pour the
Ontario waters between the main land
and Wolfe island, large island belonging
to Ontario. The most important part
played by the fortifications Of Kingston
IL. that they command the southern termi-
nus OF the Rideau canal, the northern ter.
minus being at Ottawa. the capital OF the
Dominion. which city fs situated on the
Ottawa river, a navigable stream tieborch-
ing into the st. Lawrence Just above Mon
treal. The Canadians expect that the
Rideau canal will play an important part
in the event Of war.
Then we have the Canadian Pacific
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