Evening star., 1896-01-04

wi ME &I9VFE our defenses in the
II ljE%QSkE possibility of war
u ~ II Y with England. Such
a man is o r
Watson c.. Squire, who has recently intro
duced a bill appropriating sS7.OOO,OOO for the
protection Of our cities by the sea. Senator
Squire was chairman of the coast defense
committee some years ago, and since he was
elected to the Senate he has been devoting
himself largely to matters connected with
the army and navy. He was for many years
connected with the Remington Manufactur-
ing Company and he has made large for
tune in dealing in firearms and munitions Of
war He was for long time the agent of
the Remington company in Europe, and
was at one time it's President At the time
or the Franco-PruSS.a AN war he sold more
than $14, 100000 worth of small arms to the
French. He tells me that the French
thought they were well prepared for this
struggle, but that after it had begun they
found they could nowhere get enough arms
for their soldiers. Among those which they
bought of Senator Squire were Il large num-
ber of the rifles ard guns left over from our
late civil war The Senator purchased near
ly $40, ,OOO,O 900 worth of such guns from Uncle
Sam and sold them to the French. He has
also furnished guns to others of the great
European nations. He sold over $S,0OO.0 900
worth Of guns to the Spanish and he aided
In supplying the Danes with firearms. For
years his business was in connection with
the war offices of all the great European ma
tions, and he could today draw maps of the
streets Of st. Petersburg and Constantinople
from memory. A great part of the guns now
in use in South America were sold by him.
This IS the case with Cuba and to large ex-
tent with the Argentine Republic and Ven
eZuela. l do not think that the Senator has
Remington company. His long experience,
however. has given him a good opportunity
to learn much as to the inside workings Of
war matters In Europe, and especially as to
the plans of other nations relating to this
country.
John Bull NOsing Out Our Secrets.
During a chat with him last night asked
Senator Squire whether he supposed that the
English had an accurate knowledge of our
seaports.
He replied: Certainly they have. The
British legation has a man connected with
1t whose business it Is to look into and re-
port TO the British war office upon such mat
ters The English probably have had men
travelling through the United States getting
the last and best information upon all mat
terS connected with our army and navy and
defenses You cannot imagine the amount
of money that foreign nations spend upon
such things. new gun or a new invention
IN any Kind of arms is worth a fortune If It
is of real value, and governments sometimes
BUY such inventions and keep them secret
until the time comes for Their use. Our War
Department probably has much secret infor-
nation as to arms and ammunition which
will not be developed until war occurs.
We send men abroad to report upon such
matters. The results Of their investigations
never get into the newspapers, and you can
not tell what new things have been invent
ed Tor warfare until war actually occurs In
the war Of 1866 in which Austria was con-
quered by Prussia, the Prussians succeade,l
largely on account of the German "ceedle
gun, which up to that time had been kent
secret. 1t was poor thing at best, and it
allowed the gas rising from the powder to
escape in such way that it had to be fired
from the thigh instead of the shoulder. Still
u was great Improvement over the old
Austrian gun and over anything Europe
then had. 1t was first used in that war and
at the battle of Sadowa it gave the Prus-
SANS victory After this battle all Europe
rushed to get new guns. and the wonderful
small arms which We have today are the
result. 1t was the same during our civil
war The fight of the Monitor and the
Merrimac changed the naval construction
OF the world Before that wooden ships
We're used nearly everywhere. After it gun
boats had to be made Of iron and steel. and
the big men-of-war which now cost from
three to five million dollars apiece, and the
costly armor plate with which they are
sheathed are the result.
Plans of Our Senports in the British
War Office.
speaking of the English knowledge of
our seaports." Senator Squire went on, 81
have no doubt but that plan of every
barber and city on the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts Is In the British war Office. These
are revised from time to time in accordance
with every new item of information which
they get concerning our defenses l venture
to say that the British war office has a bet
ter knowledge of the real condition of our
seacoast cities than the Congress- of the
States a nha,
lish have their plans made out in detail as to
where they will attack each of our cities in
case Of war. and it may be that the letters
and kilograms are already written giving
directions to the commanders in the differ
ent branches of the army and navy as to
just what they are to do in such case This
is so in nearly every big war office in Europe.
Every possibility is provided for You re-
member the story of Won Moltke the com
nander-in-chief Of the German army at the
time that the Franco-Prussian war occur
red. The announcement that war had been
declared by Napoleon was received at night,
and the messenger bringing the news found
Won Moltke sound asleep. He was awak-
ened and advised Of the fact. He did not
rise. but merely sent for his aid, and told
him to go to a certain case and take the
papers out of a certain pigeon hole and tele-
graph the instructions therein inclosed
These instructions gave directions as to the
disposition OF every part of the German
army. After giving this order so the story
sleep, knowing that when he awoke in the
morning the whole German army would be
preparing to move. The English probably
have similar plans for their troops in Can
ada, and for the action Of their forces and
fleets"
England's Fortifications.
What is the condition of the English
fortifcations on this side of the water, SEN
ator Squire?" asked.
Il don't think any one knows" replied
Senator Squire. "They are probably in a
very good condition. The English have been
steadily increasing their Notifications about
the United States for years. They have, I
have seen 1t stated, so dredged the st.
Lawrence river that war ships drawing
twenty feet can now sail right up to
Montreal, which, in the case Of war with
us, would be one of their bases of supplies
They do not allow Americans to go through
their forts. Not long ago my secretary,
Col. Hilder, who was formerly connected
with the English army in India, was visit
ing some offices near Esquimault on Van
couver's Island. He asked to be taken
through the fort there, but was told that