The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-04
An Urgent Necessity.


Chicago Tribune. while in washington
last week. took opportunity to remark
within the hearing Of Post reporter
that of all the great problems now
pressing upon the American people Tor
solution the paramount one, In ms
Judgment. was the question OF delehu-
ing our coast and lake fronts from
possible invasion by foreign roe.
am amazed" said he, lat the apathy
and seeming Indifference of congress IN
neglecting matter that concerns the
temporal welfare of millions of people,
their property and their lives. In
stant authority should be given the
president to issue Sl0O,0O0,000 of long
time bonds. bearing per cent inter-
est, with which to fortify our seaboard
from Portland to Galveston ana from
San Diego to Seattle, and to put every
town and city on the Great Lakes in
condition of defense. The yearly in
terest on this would be only S3,OOO,OOO
What u small sum for national insur-
ance! The total fire insurance of the
United States amounts to $25O,OOO,OOo
annually, and yet congress sleeps as
serenely as old Rip Van Wrinkle among
the highlands Of the Hudson as though
u guaranty had been given by all the
nations that America should be sacred
from assault.
What Is there" Mr.. Medill asked,
l.f. l,, FOL
British ships of war steam up the Po-
tomac? What is there to keep Boston.
Philadelphia and Baltimore from de-
struction by their modern long-range
guns and what is to save New York
from having to pay Il ransom of mill
ions should the flying squadron de-
mand the money as an alternative of
pillage. fire and devastation? We are
totally at the mercy, 50 far as our coast
is concerned. of any great power. We
know our helplessness and the strong
governments across the water know
that we must be cogniZant of their APP
probation Of our impotency. Yet we
go on from year to year taking no
steps for representation. These de-
fenses cannot be improvised: they
are not the work of a week. month. or
a year. War may come in moment
and find us totally without equipment
Then the nation would touch the bitter
depths of humiliation; then the masses
would curse the Legislators, who, with
blind folly refused to expend a few
millions for life and homes and honor;
then history would record the create
disgrace that ever befell a people"
The opinions of Chicago's veteran
journalist upon this subject are shared
by millions of his countrymen. Only
the other day we received from a Chi
cago publishing house, Way & Will
pamphlet soon to be issued with view
to exciting congress to a realization of
its duty in these premises. 1t is a re-
print of the once celebrated tract
"The Battle of Dorking," which pur-
ports to describe how "a German ar
mada bore down upon England and cut
through the channel fleet: how the Ger
man forces. after landing, won a de-
cisive battle against poorly equipped
English volunteers who were rushed
to the front in defense of the island
how London fell and how, at last, the
whole British empire disintegrated, all
because English statesmen, regardless
of repeated warnings, had failed to
provide adequately for the national de-
fence. 'The Battle of Dorking," re-
mark the Chicago publishers, in an in
troductory note, would be possible
today only on American SOIL
How long shall such a possibility be
permitted to remain?