The Washington times., 1903-05-20
GREAT SHAM FIGHT
OF ARMY AND NAVY
Portland, Maine, the Center of Opera
lions for Maneuvers This Summer.

summer on almost as large scale as
those of English and German military
and naval forces. Last years sham bat
tie, though great advance over previ-
Gus performances OF that sort. was
lacking in several essentials Joint
maneuvers, in 1900. were undertaken
in only a half hearted way, and lacked
the cooperation that brings substantial
results.
The feet last summer did not attempt
defensive operations standing strictly
on the offensive. Torpedo boats were
not allowed to take part In the defense,
and the whole burden of beating OF
the attacking squadron was left TO the
artillery ashore. No adequate reproduce
ton of the condition of real warfare,
II is contended, was possible under such
circumstances. for every nation can be
counted on TO protect IT'S ports with
coast defense squadron under an ag-
gressive officer
Portland. Maine, will be the storm
center of hostilities from August % 10
81. Military and naval experts agree
that knowledge of the weak and strong
points in the defense of that city might
well be of value to the country were a
hostile feet 10 seize Portland, and, using
it as q base of operations. throw an
| army across Maine, the New England
States might easily be cut of.
! Forts Williams. Mckinley and Leavitt.
/ and strong mortar battery known as
Fort PrebIe defend the town. The har-
Dor has four entrances, a main channel
between Forts Leavitt and Williams.
smaller one between Peak and Long Is
lands, another between Cushing and
| Peak Islands and a fourth by way cf
! Casco bay. A large area is left 20 the
defense of the field artillery. large
| part OF which has been stationed ct
! Fort Wright on Fishers Island. Long
Island Sound.
1t has been as good as settled that the
army is 10 defend and the navy TO at
/ tack Portland, though a f1otilla OF tor
pedo boats. the second-class battleship
Texas and three monitors under Rear
| Admirals Barker, Sands. and Wise Will
assist the soldiers. Rear Admiral Cogh-
Ian has been selected as the commander
| in-chief of the naval force. and Gen.
| Adna r. Chaffee. commanding the De-
partment of the East, will be in charge
| of the land force Admiral Coghlan's
| feet will include the battleships Ala
bama, Maine, Kearsage, Illinois, Iowa,
Indiana, and Massachusetts, the pro-
/ tected cruisers Olympia. Baltimore.
| Topeka and Atlanta, the armoTed cruiser
| Brooklyn, q number of gunboats and a
| fotiIla OF torpedo boats and destroyers.
| Four hundred men of the Maine militia.
/ zie
| corps, and the naval reserve, besides the
heavy artillery of MASSACHUSETTS, viii
make up the volunteer portion of General
Charees force. The following regulars
have been also-2laced under his COM
mard:
The Fortieth Artillery. Capt. VI. K.
Barroil; Fifty-seventh Artillery, Capt.
NJ c. Buckley; Eighty ninth Artillery,
Capt F. ". Phisterer; Ninety-sixth Ar
tiIlery, Capt F. G. Maudlin; 18TH Ar
tiiIery, Capt z. S Benton: 18th Ar
tillery. Capt. Wright Smith. and the
12oth Artillery. Capt. J. C. Johnston
These companies, numbering 100 men.
will be under the direct command OF
Col. F. G. Smith, an artillery officer OF
tried ability. assisted by Majors C. D.
Parkhurst. H l. Harris G. " Whistler,
r. H Patterson. and B. H. Randolph.
Signal corps men equipped with wireless
telegraph apparatus, and engineers TO
manipulate searchlights, throw up forth
ications. and lay mines will be supplied
to the army.
The general staff is now at work map
ping out the plans of compaign, which
will not be made public until little
while before the maneuvers take place
Brig Gen W F. Randolph and his aide,
Capt William Chamberlain. are max
ing every effort to equip the forts prop
erly. Guns are mounted. searchIights
placed in position. electrical eommunica-
lions set up. and range finders placed
in order. The navy is always on a war
footing, so that little remains to be
done TO put the vessels in fighting trim.
While the War Department has not
announced the full outline OF the raaneu-
vers, 1t may be regarded as certain
that the search problem will take
place This may be described as a grim
game of hide and seek, played on a
large scale by two fleets. One Is accom-
panied by several transports file! VITA
troops which it intends 10 land on the
enemy coast ti4e OtllEE - lASAt +CA1-l
TO locate the enemy and proven him
from effecting the Decentralization. Year
befort last the attacking fleet lost bat
last year Rear Admiral Sumner estab-
lished a base of operations at Maguey.
P R.. despite Admiral Higginson's ef-
forts TO prevent it.
The value of these annual maneuvers
TO the forces of the United States, ashore
and af1oat, is regarded as incalculable.
Complex machinery and intrica-e rela-
tons of one arm of the service TO an
other are never fully tested in any other
way. These maneuvers alone viii en-
able our officers 70 engage an eremy
with the confidence which COMES with
experience.
MOB LYNCHES WHITE MAN.