Washington sentinel., 1900-03-31
More Fortiaoations Needed.


War be directed to inform the
House as early as possible what
notifications Great Britain is erect
ing, constructing and completing
along the northern frontier OF the
United States, especially at Puget
Sound and other places on the
Pacific Ocean, contiguous to the
State OF Washington and the dis
trict of Alaska, was turned down
bv a Republican majority in that
body, This, in view OF the recent
utterances in English papers con-
cerning the debt whi n Great Brit
ain will owe to Canada. and which
she will repay in enforcing the
'just claims" Of the Dominion in
Alaska, might seem somewhat
high handed. But it is an old say
ing "Whom the gods wish to de.
stroy they first make mad" Our
Republican friends in the North
west may some day regret their
adherence 10 party at tn: expense
Of prudence,
The fortiHcations bill recently
| reported to the House carries an
appropriation Of three or four mil
lions more than the last approPri-
alton bill, but, il the imperial
list policy is to be persevered in,
the amount is but paltry, as will be
easily seen. Senator Bacon, OF
| Georgia, in a recent speech called
attention to the fact that on our
four thousand miles Of Atlantic
and Cult coast, retChing from
Nova Scotia to the Rio Grande,
there are but few seaPorts ade-
| quaIely fortified to resist modern
! artillery. With the complication
that mus. nee ssarilY arise out Of
our departure from the precepts OF
our fathers and the principles Of
the Monroe Doctrine, it is self.
evident that the people along that
| great stretch Of shore line will be
in danger OF the repetition of ter
rors experienced in the early days
OF the Spanish war, terrors more
real, perhaps, and less easily es
capped.
Speaking for my own State" >"
Mr.. Bacon said, II know it to be
true that there is not city or town
on the coast which could not be
bombarded by a man. OF. war which
| could approach it by a water course
where there are now no fortiica-
tions and no modern guns" The
almost irenzied appeals OF two
| years ago cannot be yet forgotten,
nor the humorous story of the ex-
citement caused in a New England
city by the unexpe cted firing Of an
old rusty cannon during the night,
in honor Of one OF our victories.
With the hundreds Of million dol
lars which will have to be expended
on the retention Of the Philippines,
for the army and the navy, it will
be impossible to provide the money
to defraY the expenses oil govern.
ment, and properly guard our long
stretch of sea coast. Is the work
ingman, to whom is offered the al
luring prospect of competition " ith
1900 900 Mongols and Chinese
galore as the result Of our expan-
sion, to bear the additional burden
Of taxation for the erection Of these
forts, in addition to the support oi
military establishment which will
enable US to rank as "a world
power" after having existed so
many years as a world wonder7
| Earthworks will not do now.
Forti6cations to be Of any avail to.
day, must be capable Of resisting
a projectile which can penetrate
| 50 feet of solid masonry! War
does not exist, but war might be
| brought about in a day, or why,
Senator Bacon asks, the millions
expended yearly on the creation OF
a powerful navy2 WHY are coaling
stations all over the world in cou-
slant demand9 Why the great arm p
aments1 And, with almost the
whole Of our army and navy in
Asiatic waters, as many weeks dis
tant from our shores as those Of
Europe can be measured in days,
what guarantee have we that peace
will be maintained longer than it
may suit the interest or pleasure
Of those who might wish to attack
US, and who while failing to con
quer, would be capable oil inaict
ing immense havoc upon our
shores2
We conquered Spain without
going near her shores. because she
had OUTLYING colonies; and now we
have "taken over" to ourselves the
weakness that caused her destruc-