Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-08-20
BIG WAR GAME.
BattIsships to Engage Land Oefsnces
in Friendly Attacks.
PREPARATIONS ALL MADE.

New York. Aug. 20.-New Workers
today pursued their usual routine OF
business and pleasure in utter disre-
gard of the fact that a naval force is
speeding westward over the blue wa
ters of the Atlantic with the known in
t~ention Of attacking the city. There is
a bare chance that the commander of
the hostile fleet may change his plans
and endeavor to effect a landing on the
New England coast, but for Gotham
ties to cling to this hope is like a
drowning man grasping at q straw for
the chances are a thousand to one
that the commander of the fleet, who
is acknowledged to be a daring and
able officer. will risk the fire {. the
forts guarding the Narrows and New
York bay In an attempt to capture the
richest prize that could be won by a
naval force anywhere in the wide
world.
The %euuanimity displayed By New
Workers in the face of such impending
calamity results not so much from re.
lance of the efficacy of the defending
forts as from the knowledge that the
approaching attack is to be made only
a make believe" one. In fact it is to
be a part of the great war game"
conceived by President Roosevelt and
arranged by me navy department, and
which may be said to begin today to
continue late in the fall. The manoeu-
vres are the most extensive ever held
| IN thn rt.nOtnrp u,Ar1J TO- ,aontI, paet
high officials of the army and navy
have been laying the plans n the
result will be awaited with keen inter-
est by military authorities throughout
the world.
A warship in commissio is consid-
cred ready for action at all times so
that NJ work of special preparation
has been necessary for the manoeu-
vres. But with the land Notifications
it is different and much work has been
necessary to put them in first class
fighting condition. The forts specially
involved are: In the district of Nara
gansett-Fort Adams, at Newport, r.
l.; Fort Wetherill, r. l.; Fort Greble,
r. l., and Fort Rodman, Mass. In the
district of New London-Fort II. G.
Wright, New York; Fort, Niche. N.
Y; Fort Trumbull, Conn; Fort Terry.
N. Y, and Fort Mansfield. In the war
game these are commanded by Major
General Macarthur, General Has
brouck and Colonel Davis.
On the navy side the special prepar-
atoms have consisted in the mobiliza-
ton of the fleet to take part in the
game. The feet is under command of
Rear Admiral Higginson. First class
battleship Kearsarge is the flagship.
!, Then there is the armored cruiser
Brooklyn, flying the flag of Rear Ad-
? miral Coghlan, second in command (;
the first class battleships Alabama and
Massachusetts. the cruisers Olympia
and Cincinnati, the g%unboats Glouces'
, ter. Maylower, Scorpion, Hist, Ley
: den, Nina and Peoria, the converted
cruisers Prairie, Panther and Supply
and seven torpedo boats.
The problem OF the first week of the
war game is: Are the coast defenses
OF Long Island sound and the advance
3. guard of the United States fleet capa
T BILE of preventing the approach to New
York harbor of a large hostile fleet
when the navy of the country happens
> to be away looking after some Other
a feet of the enemy.
Q Today, according to schedule, the
converted cruisers are to be detached
n from Rear Admiral Higginson's squad
d ron and go to sea. They will during
the ensuing seven days seek to pas:
S the defending squadron and forts anC
establish a base of supplies and actor
within the sphere of activities. 1t viii
be supposed that these swift moving
vessels are the advance guard of al
approaching feet of transports pro
: tected by a large squadron of battle
ships. and that if the advance guar'
; can get by the larger feet is capable
of doing likewise.
Rear Admiral Higginson's plan o
defense will be to send out scouts an,
I upon the value of their work will dc
= pend the success of the defendinI
= ~squadron's efforts. The scouts will al
tempt to pick up the enemy's fee
and hold on to it until a decisive actioi
can be fought. Commander John +
PlllsDury, OF the fralrle, VINO VIII con
mand the invaders in time to brin
their ships within range for a suficien
time to demolish them before thei
ID men can be landed. The defendin
rs squadron will be considered to hav
lie won. But II the converted cruiser
are able to eject a landing, their pal
of the game will have been won, and
pr will have been shown that the nav
TO and the coast defenses are weak in
ma critical place.
err Next week it will be considered thf
Mt the invading and the defending nav
I'd have made peace INT decided to joi
.e- forces. At any rate the whole fee
ed will be united under near Admiri
is. Higginson and will go to sea. 1t wi
ii. be supposed that the coast defense