Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-28
BETTER DEFENSES NEEDED
Condition Of This Country Compared with
that Of Europe,
foRTlFlCATloNS BETTER THAN A NAVY
senator Proctor Urges Congress to
spend Less Money on the Navy
and More for Unrbor
EortiHcatiou.

! WASHINGTON, Feb. Ex-senator Proctor
of Vermont addressed the senate today on
the question OF coast dofenses. The senator's
| former service as secretary OF war gave
| added interest to his remarks. st the out
! set he quoted a statement by Admiral Walker
| to the effect that IL the English were IL
send over such a naval force as they could
spare from Europe they would have their
own way here. The senator took the
giCrnd that the land fortiications are much
| more efficient for coast defense than navy
and when once constructed are durable.
| cheaply maintained and easily strengthened
that the defense of our cities cannot be left
to the navy alone, however large, and that
navy that would equal the great naves
OF Europe is unnecessary and that its cost
| makes such navy impracticable.
The senator said that the total amount
appropriated up to date from and including
the Sd day of March, 1888, for the in
crease of the navy was sl10,3l7710, and
during the same time only Sl0,63l,Tl0 had
been provided for coast defense.
I'VE have also spent he continued.
millions in deepening the approaches to
our harbors to make them accessible to a
hostile fleet, and practically nothing for
tEeir defense We have neglected the work
which should have been done first and which
would have been more than completed for
the sum spent in the navy, while the navy.
still far too small to protect itself, is left
without the protection of system of harbor
defense which should have preceded its
obstruction 1t is to be hoped that the
British war office and admiralty have not
plans in detail of our partially constructed
mine and torpedo systems. There is little
else in our preparation or non-preparaton
for war that they do not understand. There
Is no danger exposing our weak points. They
are well known"
Speaking again of the navy, the senator
said that brief comparison taken from the
last report Of the secretary will demonstrate te
how hopelessly behind foreign powers the
United States is in naval equipment. This
was particularly true as regards Great Brit
ain, our traditional enemy. He also COM
pared the inadequacy of our navy with what
coast defenses would accomplish. and salt: :
such is our navy: but suppose that like
sum had been expended on land defenses
what would the country now have to show
for the expenditure?'
The senator quoted Admiral Walker as say
ing that IL our harbors were properly forti-
fled no squadron would attempt to take them.
He presented tables comparing the cost of
land and floating batteries, showing the great
excess of cost when batteries are placed on
ships, and cited events in the China Japan
war to show that japanese land forces were
an essential factor in the capture of Port
Arthur and WeHai-Wei.
In the course of his remarks he said at
would be much better to provide the land
fortifcations at cost so many times less
than the expense Of making our navy any
thing like equal to that of Great Britain in
asmuch it is universally admitted that the
land Notifications will render coasts i'm
pregnable. The needs Of the country appeal
to congress for action in this direction; the
boundless capt.. represented in property that
could be destroyed by bombardment appeals
to u.s. the material interest of the whole ma
ton that would be affected by that destruc-
tioD appeal to us; our common sense appeals
to u.s. We can effect our purpose more
cheaply now than hereafter. Let us provide
suitable fortificaticns and render our harbors
impregnable Whatever works made will
be such that additions can from time to time
be made to them to make them equal to
wlthstanding the advances of science. If we
do this we will receive the commentator of
the whole country