Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-12-27
Wa5hlnaton Staltdarl
0Es Npst. WASH.
fElEM EVENING, DECEMBER q. 1885.
England Well Fixed for War.

iur many years past making prcpara-
tons Tor contingency like the pres
cnt, with special reference to an armed
conflict with our government, the
foresight, wisdom and craftsmanship
g! that distinguished American, SAM
ucl J. Iilden, becomes apparent. His
earnest Recommendation to spend the
accommodating surplus in the Treasury
III coast Notifications and naval de-
fences, if it had been needed, would
have placed this country on a footing
that would have made her the equal,
at least, OF Great Britain in that re-
spect.
There is always much buster
when foreign war is hroached The
patriotic impulse Immediately runs
the blood up to fever heat, despite
reason or judgment. 1t is doubtless
proper that this should be so. "Our
country right or wrong; but may she
ever be right" is a sentiment which is
and should he accepted in all its en-.
tirety. But Davy Crockett's maxim.
which admonishes some care in keep
ing the powder dry while placing i'm
plicit confidence in Providence, all
worldly observation and experience
lily justiries.
Late issues OF the s. F. Examiner
contain series OF articles which 60 to
show that our English cousins have,
under the garb OF friendship, been for
long time past searching for the pre-
else places where they could the most
expeditiously drive knife into the
vitals of our political autonomy. The
labors of these spies has been so per-
feet that the English war office is sup
piled with maps of our extensive
coast-line that show at once all the
weak points for naval assault. The
fleets to attack the Atlantic coast are
chosen and the officers to command
them have been assigned their parts.
One OF the details in the startling
discovery possesses special interest to
people on Puget Sound. 1t is that for
the past three years work has been
quietly going on in completing great
system of land defenses at the south
ern extremity o: Vancouver Island.
At Esquimalt, the Notifications ex-
tend from Point Macaulay to the
head of the harbor, encircling q we'll
constructed navy yard, dry dock,
magazine and numerous store houses.
1t is the base Of supply for the Pacific
squadron, and by its position COM
mands the Straits OF Fucs, the COM
mercisl highway to Puget Sound.
The Notifications are OF the latest and
most improved character. The ord
nance embraces guns which will carry
shot and shell to range only limited by
vision, and these monsters have their
station deep beneath the surface of the
earth, from which they rise to hurl
their destructive missiles and and then
by hydraulic machinery are lowered
for recharging with the facility of a
modern elevator. The guns are fred
by electricity, and their operation can
be controlled by the same occult power,
rendering possible an awfully stimuli.
taneous broadside of the most effec-
tive projectiles. The use of smokeless
powder may be made to conceal the
location of these gigantic batteries, so
that an invading fleet would not have
even an overhanging cloud of smoke
to guide their return fire. This line
of guns extends upwards OF four miles,
and commands every mile of water
inside of Race Rocks. A system oil
trenches and tunnels connects the
pits and the magazines, and the loca-
ton of the latter is utterly unknown
to all except those in command. As
sault by land, should such an improb.
able effort be attempted, is rendered
practically impossible by a chain OF
parapet forts through the hills and
fo.o,t ,,loso oycok 1ooot;o,, ., 1:I-o~,,:..
only known to the engineers who
constructed them and the officers
in command. And this is not all.
The entrances to Esquimalt and Vic
toria harbors are protected by marine
mines connected with the fortress by
network of wires for their explosion
should war vessel or merchantmen
attempt to run the gauntlet of the
shore batteries.
1t is difficult to conceive OF more
thorough system of defense. than that
which has been perfected at our very
doors by nation that we had reason
to believe entertained for the Ameri-
can people the ordinary feelings OF
consanguinity. II we have been mis-
taken in the estimate we have placed
upon nation that secretly plots the
destruction OF kindred separated by a
few generations OF descent, it is a mis-
take OF the heart rather than OF judg.
ment, and whether war results from
present complications or not, it is
probably we'll that these incidents
have brought to light more thorough
knowledge of the sanguinary nature oil
our next-door neighbors in the family
of nations. Our country is one oil
wonderful resources, and to be fore.
warned is to be forearmed. 1t will
not be many months before the United
States will profit from this knowledge
and she will be in position to meet