The times., 1898-02-09
TO PROTECT COAST CITIES
The War Department Is Max
Ing Them lmpregnable.
THE WORK BEING RUSHED
n Is the Plan to Leave No Seaboatd
City at .he 8leIcy of an EiienS h
Available money VIII Secure III
A Bluader in Ordering Snali
Arms.

Ever since Mr. Mcclellan speech in
the House Of Representatives upon the
unprepared condition of this Govern
ment for a sudden attack by any for
eign power there has been a general
Feeling OF uneasiness in the great sea-
board cities on account Of their defense
less condition. and a large degree of
blame has attached to the War Depart
ment because Of its supposed laches in
this respect.
While the military authorities are
most properly extremely reticent touch
ing their preparations for defense, the
great cities OF the Atlantic sea5oard, es-
pecialg New York. Philadelphia and
Boston, are by~iio means as completely
at the mercy of an enterprising enemy
as is generally believed.
To the corps of engineers has been
committed she problem Of harbor de-
fenses. and in company with the ord
nance department, complete plan has
been prepared, and is being gradually
worked out. that will almost insure the
safety Of these great depots of com
merce fFoEaasuneXpected attack.
New York is much the furthest ad-
AdIctu III tuE tijdtktA bi llS ANAOh-N. -
will be as thoroughly protected by sub
marine mines and land torpedo stations
by MaS. next as ii is possible to do with
the means Congress has furnished.
Heavy batteries OF siX-inch and eight,
and even ten-inch rifles viii have been
placed in position by that time, and II
the two additional regiments OF artillery
asked for by the Secretary of War and
Gen. Miles are granted. there VIII be
garTisons at all the proper points amply
able to make. the city OF New York as
safe from sudden attack as IS any SIM
ilarly located place In Europe IL has
only been by an eternal vigilance that
the secrets Of the land torpedo stations
and the intended empla cements for the
heaviest ordnance have been kept from
the enterprisirg foreign military at
taches and the newspapers.
1t has been necessary. in fact. to do
some harmless prevaricating to pre-
serve the Governments not very numer-
Gus military secrets. Not more than
week since a member of one Of the
houses Of Congress called at the War
Department 10 obtain material for
great speech he Was preparing to fulmi-
nate The Information he wanted
would have undone about all that is
kept a profound secret relating to the
Nations defense. and hp was only pla-
Gated by The assurance that only three
persons in America knew what he was
asking for. and they were the officials
who would put thes9 devices into eX-
ecutiCn should there he any occasion for
doing so.
The Southern ssahCard cities are
those in most danger. But within the
past thirty days steps have been taken
to remedy all this. Charleston will
have modern guns mounted at Sumter,
and possibly NoUiiIie viii again be
seacCast defense
Much depends upon Congress. Some
Of the far Western no nbers do not
seem 20 appreciate the need for Eastern
harbor defense. but the prompt action
OF the New York. Philadelphia and Bos
ton chambers q commerce in asking
Congress to provide The means of i'm
mediate safety has had the effect of
bringing the matter 20 the Nations at
tenton. and the general belief that this
country in the very nature Of things
must expect differences that may even
lead TO hostilities Is another very pow
erful factor in urging Congressional ac-
ton.
New Orleans is another Of the cities
to be made more secure. Neither OF the
old forts. st. Philip or Jackson, will be
used. but a position sixteen miles be
low the city at English Turn. has been
selected. and there the heavy batteries
will be erected. The work is on now
and will soon be completed. It is a
high compliment to the military judg-
ment of the officers selecting this place
that it is the one chosen by Bienville
in 1898 for planting his batteries for the
defense of the new colonies on the Mis-
sissippi But the War Department has
not confined itself to the location of en-
placements for heavy mortars and high
power ordnance for the national defense
on the Atlantic coast. San Francisco
min la
ready twelve-inch guns there ready to
be put into position upon disappearing
carriages which VIII be used for all the
pieces mounted this winter and spring
While all this is being done other wise
precautions for the country's safety are
being adopted.
At the annual inspections of the State
militias there have been regular Army
officers detailed TO witness these inspec-
tions and report upon the preparation of
the troops thus observed for active serv-
fee. Two reports have been generally
made. One was strictly confidential in
that il dealt with the condition of each
regiment for field service and touched
upon the capacity of the regimental
field officers. for command, in case the
Government called for their rank and
file Some Of these reports are said by
those who have seen them to be mighty
interesting reading. One New England
State received the rare compliment of
having its entire force declared ''fft for
muster" in case Of a general call.
1t is reported that New York has two
fun brigades that could be at once util-
tied. The chief difficulty is in a sufficient
field artillery and modern small-bore
rifle There are only 10000 of the Krag-
Jorgeson rifles on hand. but they could
be turned out. were all the factories
worked at full capacity. at the rate of
120 day.
Owing to the delay OF Congress. there
is shortage In smalI-arm and artillery
ammunition that must and will be at
once Tectified.
AS to arms, military and naval author
tiles are unanimous in praise of the
heavy guns and rif1ed mortars New
York haf'bor is so mapped that the NOR
fars can direct their fire with such ac-
curacy as To sink any ship coming
within their range Of fire which is over
two miles. The American e-inch rifle
OF l00-pounder is 10 per cent more pow
erfu1 than any similar gun in Europe.
The S, 10 and 12-inch rifles are fully up
tc anything of their caiiber in England
or on the continent, 50 there is not the
slightest uneasiness on this score in
either service.
There has been blunder made by
somebody in the smail-bore rifles, with
which the Army and Navy are equipped.
The Army rife is so calber while that
of the Navy is .234 Why both were not
alike is one Of the strange things that
sometimes occur. A ship could not help
out land fort that was short or cart
ridges. nor could an Army ordnance post
aid its comrades Of the sister service
who were cut of small-arm ammunition.
Ii Is a costly matter to change the