The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-20
roerEFr THE coLUMBLA-

Tre ClauhoeT or OoIILhfDS ~ IL 8rrN
far "a No33sy nigbt resolved 70 Eah-ji
d, conErsss a u1aD0E1al t5e tszs Of Utasch
mas susbMaas5 IL Inn in yesterdays pa
Der. The saEyaeraJa that aae g~0TsrnrDe1t
b-r1sssaragy begin bu-I31ng fortE6rato1s
al the rDouf1 Of Tits river - a most
eresBs1t ane. and 6sOa53 b assrc9y s8D-
ported by every Chamber Of Commerce
aaa Baara q Trade IN she tEo states
Of O-srDa and WAsalnstOn. for b0lh are
sstsT,y Interested In the matter. We beg
70 sagxest thai tire local BODY AZ ia
nerr meeting e03saFor By con-u1nlcst1ng
win az IRE Larger cities IN the y states
70 oh1a.a zenDraais Of q IKE character
ana See uhss 9base ARE Submitted 70 COZ
e-ess toxsrher. SDcs ~c0aeerted action
aEl usre than anything else. $sOE the
ursninsty o. FEELING existing thr0aghout
DE C~1oraAfEssa On the s8oSseL and VII
tnpgsss rr1s legislative bodies al WASH
aaEroa Etah g0z1s asea Of c1s i-9pata1cs
Of sae pu15rcL
Toe nsuoorizi Of ahs Astoria Chamber
saates:
General NelEo1 A Mica In q report
MADE early sa the preseat month. speax-
INK o. the defeuses AZ the 1o0Gh Of toe
oaumnE6z River. stated gtnzt The srna~
nssut % F1rfs Soevsus and cauby are
Obsolete and would D. practically useless
in case o. q foreign war"
GensrAI Miles, fs right So was Samuel
J. TTldea when ten years ago. az the
time Grover Cleveland Ess first elected
president Of the Unsted States. be ven
tBns5 70 adiross = letter 10 ihs chief
magistrate Of the nation IN Whtca the
necessity for an elaborate system of
coast defense vas poinied out Il was
estimated f1at me sum Of SiE.eJ9.0D
might probably bs ezpeD1sd In the next
Ten yeAra Grover Cleveland was Grover
Cleveland then a. noE. and the suggss-
flon remained unaseded General Miles,.
We understand. has practically renewed
that recommendation. and specifically
calls attention TO the condition OF GER
tain vital parts Of our coast lines. among
which be ciairnA as one Of b most s1n-
pOrtant points the opening to this rivG4
wlaiIs some good de6ense wOrk has been
done In a few places hsrs las been nc
such systeun Of defense planned AZ the
country needs The remark IL often
made by way Of Illustration that . chain
Is no stronger . Its weakest link.
TIE illustration appnes 10 = TO- tiled sea
coast Surprising 81 OnoroE the en-
frances 20 Puget Sound and San Fran
cisco Bay Esrs made i~nprsynz5,e. HihAi
Eoald Il count for Il fbe practically un-
guarded Columbia River afforded the IN.
eng an easy landing? A naval power
with one foot on shore along q river tAai
graetEeaaly : She heart Of THIS western
csuniry. ana ships to bring reinforce
mssts. G4y inhict almost Incaleulabls
dannags upon a nation which In the end
81 NAY not be able to conquer.
Tssre are two questions TO be eoIsides-
al 10 rhe discussion Of this defence prop.
es9sbOn- One Is OF money. the other OF
Eresetge. An elaborate system Of defense
In The vicinity of the jetty would entail
q heavy outlay; 80 would the landing OF
Il boSene army. Which Is better. to in
the certain expense OF constructing
ii1ese fo-llhcaIIons, or to meet me cost
d q E9orc@sful invasion3 The expendi-
lure Of a Jun OF money 6ecomes an old
sfosT an time. out no nation ever torgets
Mica 4 portion Of It's soil was in pee
Of a hostile army. The proyerb-
ally GeAk foreign policy Of this couh.
~ cas- been 10 an extent the outgrowth
" q lack Of preparation for Rar. The
money eKpe0ded In fOrtlheasiOns is mol
iarOEu sway. II nuraisGes the same
sense Of security that 4 good Insurance.
upon ones boma II not only gives
work 70 men. but Il stimulates the in
'sntiys faculty.. II every gun built IN the
Jntied States IN me last ten years should
= rsndered useless IN a week the nation
EOuld be The rScAer for having built
ssen TIE prosgeas ne have made In the
~ o. -eOnscrleting weapons Of defense
: 10 itseif compensation for the money
in esesr manufacture. Let us
. an Deaas agitate the fertilization OF
be cO.nmraa nver. and les the Chamber :
{ coa1msree continue lie m~srisorIous e.
0rts to taat end