The morning times., 1895-12-24
DEFENSE OF Lake CITIES.
Auxiliary Fleet Of Converted
Steamers Relied Upon.
GEN. MILES HAS A PLAN
He Declares No Single system of De-
fense Is PraetIca ble vsIAnd Batter
les Insufficient-EnRlan Has Fifty
two Warships Thaf-C9n Pass the
Weiland Canal. a
N..Ay York Snn

| ago drew up an elaborate plan for coast
defenses, left out entirely thegFeat Western
| cities near the Canadian line, the theory
being that Canada, in eveDtor war, would
| De occupied in ten days by United States
troops and that such citiesiasEhicago, De-
troit and Cleveland would bt..in no danger
from the enemy If that enemy should be
! Great Britain 80
No otner country fighting the United
states, II is claimed by military authori-
ties, could possibly reach these cities as
10 get there its ships would have TO pass
through Canadian waters, which of Itself
would be a declaration of war on England
Gen. Niles, in discussing this feature of
the couDtry's lack of Gcfenses, said today
t.iat IL Was rather curious Thing tnat
the waterway through which an invading
feet could reach the great lakes ran through
British territory, ana Tor tins reason IL
would be AN exceedingly difflcult Task for
the United states TO seiGe tie Mciiand canal
III time 10 prevent the transit or SHIPS up
the st. Lawrence.
NO SYSTEM PRACTICABLE
No single system OF fortifications for
the protection OF Chicago and CIeyel3 nd.
Says the general. would ne Practicable. Ior
the reason that attack would come from
the water, and IL would he almost Impossible
10 erect land batteries wiiicaI Ngouiu afiord
safety to any one single city.
Another reason WHY batteries on shore
are not feasible Is that the cost would be
enormous, and ggreglte i'll the whoiea most
as much as would be required To Tortlfy
New FORK, Boston, and tie large cities on
the Atlantic seaDoarI.
Should this country, Therefore. ever be
forced TO war with Great Britain ii VIII
probably be the navy that VIII defend the
iakc cities, not Notwithstanding that there is a
treaty between the Two governments which
Toruids the maintenarre or more than one
vessel OF war or limited tonnage on the
lakes.
Tue ships that would be depended upon
10 do this work, however. would not be the
regular batIiesnips and cruisers OF the
Navy, but great fleet of last commerce
Chicago Detroit, and other large Western
lake towns. This fleet, which has been
reported as available for naval work.
numbers thirty-six vessels. each OF which
has enormous tonnage and steaming radius.
and is as fleet as some OF Tie best smaller
ships OF the Navy.
LAKE STEAMERS AS CRUISERS.
IL is proposed by Secretary Herbert and
Capt. sampson, head OF the ordnance
bureau, to order another inspection Of
large lake steamers to determine lust how
many more would be valuable as auxiliary
cruisers. --.. 's
The first blow that might be expected
from England, 1t is claimed by naval cx-
perts, would be on the lakes. ana before
this country could get troops 10 Canana
there would be Il fleet OF guDboats on the
lakes ready to lay the large cities In
ruins.
The intelligence office OF the Navy De
partment contains records showing that
Great Britain has Just fIfty-t wo vessels OF
war whose draught VIII permit OF their
entrance through the Weliand canal. one
OF these carries eleven inches OF arInor,
but the remainder are ordinary cruisers,
with no protection on their sides.
To efrectually block the canal would
prevent the passage OF single vessel
but as the waterway runs through british
soil, il rs not probable tbat the United
States could reach ii In time to shut
out the fleet. With no United States war
ships on the lakes TO meet IT, there would
be nothing to hinder warshlps from playing
havoc with city like Chicago.
RIFLES ARE ON HAND.
The Navy Department.! however. pro-
poses to provide against aust such an
emergency and VIII have sufficient I'VE
and six-inch high-powered rifles on hand
with which these auxiliary cruisers are
to be equipped.
A Ileet OF Irty OF this class of boats.
1t is asserted. could whip any number OF
ships which Great Britain could possibly
place on the lakes. The merchant-shiDs
would have no more protection than the
carry more guns, and thus do more ef-
fectiye work.
General Miles like almost all naval Of
ficers, believes that Canada would have TO
be on the offensive. as she has little to
protect. whereas, the United States would
have vast interests to look after on tne
southern border of the lakes. II would
be an iinpossibility. he SAYS. for An army
to = ct into the United States, but there would
be no difficulty in a fleet entering the
lakes. Unless the Welland could he de-
stroyed in time. and unless there were q.
auxiliary cruisers there to receive 1t, no
army in the world could prevent 1t from
laying the big towns i'll ashes.
1t is therefore not Improbable that he
fore long the lakes will have a large fleet
OF ships which would he carried on the
naval list as auxiliary cruisers. and that
the Washington gun factory VIII nave ready
Several hundred guns and theirnounts ready
to be placed on board in twenty-iour hours
notice.
Secretary Herbert has already asked
Congress for money to manufacture guns
for this class of ships, and in view of the
recent disclosure of the defenceless condi-
there is good reason to believe that pro-
vision will be made this winter.