Evening star., 1896-01-04

ASN@W first guns heard in
the northern hemi-
81 A. sphere would crack
~ "A al across the Canadian
\@ksgMlM#iJ| frontier. According
u M2N, to such belief hostil-
WM IN 'M tiles would commence
zlY quickly, with short
warning of the al breach of friendly re-
lations, and the arst week after the outbreak
would be full of event and important result.
Fighting would thereafter occur between
the two nations in every quarter of the
globe except in Venezuela, the location of
the real bone of contention.
When it became evident that war was
imminent the first attention of this govern
ment would be paid to the protection of
the great lake cities, Chicago, Detroit,
Cleveland, Buffalo, Milwaukee and Toledo,
from destruction. Every one knows that
under an old treaty neither England nor
the United States may float men-of-war on
the great lakes. The treaty gives an un-
fair advantage to England. While she does
not keep warsEips on the lakes she can
fill the Welland canal, on her side of the
line, full of lght-oraft cruisers which
could be 1oatad into the great lakes at
moments notice and in a few hours could
be massed in front of Buffalo, Cleveland,
Toledo and Detroit, and practically wipe
tnem from the lace OF the edrtn with SneilS
from their batteries. The only thing that
could prevent such a calamity would be
the presence of American warships to give
battle to the invaders before they hove in
s ght of the cities.
1t is an open secret, however, that the
United States does not fear any such har-
rowing contingency. There are now on the
lakes number of steel steamships used in
lower lake ports. While they are merchant
ships they are modern vessels in every
particular and upon being armed with suf-
Hcient battery could cope with the vessels
brought by the English through the canal
except in one case. The English have only
one armored cruiser OF draft permitting
passage through the canal The impro-
vised men of war Of the Yankees would
have to dodge this terror, although several
of them together, with American crews to
handle them, might make it pretty lively
for even this intruder. 1t is safe to say
that before hostilities become imminent
there will be guns distributed at a number
of lake cites in anticipation of arming the
big lake vessels.
An Important Position.
This government would not place it's sole
dependence upon this plan for defending
the lake cities. A dash for the Welland
canal would he made by the American land
force upon the drop of the hat, and
strenuous efforts put forth to demolish it,
and thus cut off the British means of COM
munication between the sea and the lakes
1t is not to be expected that the English
would be unaware of the Importance of
such move, but that they would defend
themselves vigorously, and bloody fighting
would certainly occur on the northern bor-
der Immediately. There is little doubt of
this side of the line. The facilities pos
sessed by the United States for -massing an
immense militia force from the states of
New York, Ohio Pennsylvania and Illinois
he rr.fth
sure the outnumbering of the enemy by the
Americans. The men thus put to the front
would be the pick Of the American militia
young and enthusiastic fellows, full of pa
tr1otlsm and spelling for fight, and under
the leadership of soldiers who have seen
service. When the Welland canal was cap
tured and the possibility of bringing REIN
fercements that way put beyond reach, the
defense of the border cities would be a
comparatively simple matter, and would
cause little concern.
Meanwhile, the government would also
be devoting it's attention to the protection
CT the seacoast cities On the Atlantic sea-
board there might be some trouble, but the
authorities say that this country is not
nearly as bad off as some writer's would
make out. 1t is true the great English bat
tie ships could remain in deep water be-
yond the range of land batteries and with
their powerful guns shell New York and
Boston; that is, they could do it if nothing
We're done TO prevent them but it is not
likely that they would be left alone all that
time. There is an unobtrusive little school
of army engineers at Willett's Point and
another one under the Navy Department at
Newport that have been providing for this
contingency for several years, and while
publicity of their progress has been
studiously avoided, it is said in military cir
cles that they have developed some plans
for defense which will enable this govern
ment to spring few surprises upon over
confident invaders. The double turreted
monitor Puritan of the American navy is
claimed to be the equal of any British bat
tleShip that could reach these waters and
she would not be idle while the bombarding
of at least one of the cities was going on.
However, 1t is believed that the defense of
the coast cities would largely consist of
submarine aud torpedo devices.
Some Coast Defenxes.
On the Pacific coast, Seattle and Tacoma
would probably fall an easy prey to the
war ships from the British station at Es-
quimault, and Portland would also suffer.
San Francisco, however, would be a harder
nut TO crack. There are land batteries at
the harbor entrance that are regarded as
practically impregnable, and if war ship
should slip in she would meet the Mianto-
nomoh, who would give her exceedingly
warm reception. New Orleans and Mobile,
on the gulf coast would be protected by
impeding the channel, and any land force
that the invaders could land would be met
by a superior army on shore.
1t is pointed out that there are many
popular errors about the formidability of
the British navy. While it looks over
formidable upon paper, it must be remem-
bered that Great Britain could not send all
of her vessels into these waters. She could
not withdraw the Mediterranean fleet, for
instance and leave her vast interests in
that locality unprotected. She would have
to keep ships in various quarters of the
globe, while this country would use every
vessel she has either in coast defense or in
waging the warfare upon British COM
merce that would be such an important
feature of the tactics pursued by this coun-
try.
There is practically no American COM
merce upon the high seas for England to
attack, while the flags of her merchant
men float upon every sea. The swift cruis-
ers of the Yankee nation would scour the
waters of the richly laden bottoms of the
Britisher and infiict incalculable damage
upon his commerce. Ample revenge for
the injuries inflicted upon the smaller coast
oil tho limited