The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-07-07

IT IS deelded that MaJoF-General
 John R. Brooke, commanding the De- partment of the East, with headquar- ters in New York, will be in charge of the arrangements for the defense. He has recently appointed Major G. T.
 F. Harrison. Captain L. s. Lyon and Captain E. Landon a board to inspect the Notifications. In preparing the
 plans he will have the assistance of General George L. Gillespie, chief of engineers; General William Crozier,
 chief of ordnance; General A. W. Gree
 Iy, chief signal officer and General Randolph, chief of artillery, who have all been ordered to report to him for that purpose.
 The work on the islands and the general district is in charge of
 Lieutenant-C Colonel J. M. K Davis, who was called from the artillery corps at
 San Juan de Porto Rico to Fort Trum- bull.
 July 21, the date for General Brooke's retirement, coming before the date of
 the beginning of the maneuvers, it is reported that General Macarthur may
 be in charge of the defense. General
 Macarthur is in command of the De-
 partment of the Lakes and lately re-
 turned from the Philippines.
 DATES OF THE MANEUVERS.
 The warships are to rendezvous Au-
 gust 30, and the maneuvers are ex- pected to begin about day or two later. Most of the officers are famil-
 jar in general way with the waters,
 as the area south of Newport has long
 been a field for maneuvers and gun
 practice. Farther to the east, Vine yard South, Nantucket Sound and
 Nantucket Shoals are open books to them, as familiar as Luce's Seaman-
 ship-may be more familiar. Rear
 Admiral Higginscon may select his
 naval base somewhere in that locality.
 He will have strong reinforcement of marines and may elect to send land ing parties to operate ashore.
 THE REAL OBJECTIVE. Whatever the preliminaries, sooner or later, the assailants must break through the strong line of fortifics tions
 reaching in an irregular belt across the Sound. This starts at Fort Trumbull near New London and takes in Fort Wright at the west end of Fishers Island, Fort Michie on Gull Island and Fort Terry on Plum Island; with the
 battery on Gardiner's Island as an an- mex. These should make 1t interest ing for the bluejackets, but if the col-
 umn fights through or ships past with the loss or disabling of only a vessel or two, it might have Sunday excur- sion, bombarding New Haven or con- tinuing direct to Fort Schuyler. TORPEDO AND SUBMARINE BOATS It may be that mines actual or irn- aginary will have a part in the game. Torpedo boats may be expected to fig ure in operations undertaken at night. These little crafts fitting at high speed and without lights are dangerous in the darkness. Sea green in hue and nearly awash they can steal fast toward ship with small chance of detection until they are within about 2000 feet. If a torpedo boat gets within 1,500 feet with out being discovered the ship is &C., counted disabled, according to the rules
 of the game. Umpires on the ships will decide whether the boats succeed or fail. If the operations are at night a star will be shown, a green star if the target ship has discovered her tiny as-
 sailant or a red star If the assailant
 scores according to the naval Hoyle. Each force is to have at least one submarine boat, and is to carry the
 war game into the shadowy twilight beneath the surface. It is also to carry the game into the air, for each side will use searchlights and the navy will use messenger pigeons. Furthermore the men-o'-war will communicate by wire less telegraphy. Jack will be kept busy at his end of the puzzle.
 PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT WILL AT TEND.
 General Brooke has been lately in consultation with Secretary of War
 Root, Adjutant General Corbin and General Randolph in regard to the di-
 vision of the arrangements. President
 Roosevelt is interested and is likely to
 review the fleet and to witness the operations for two or three days. Be- fore the war he was Assistant Secre- tary of the Navy, and in the war he fought ashore. Last October the Con-
 necticut Naval Battalion which he will
 see afioat. was his personal body guard
 at the Yale bi-centennial celebration.