The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-11
Is Washington City Safe?

Tho toint military and naval exercises
to begin at and about Old Point at II
| o'clock tonight are intended to answer
the question us Washington city SAFE
| or rather would IL be secure from capture
by nm enemy in the event OF a war Win
strong foreign power? These manoeu-
vres will be different from those OF last
year, in that they Will expose none OF the
pains OF defense and reveal nothing to the
public or to foreign governments as TO the
position or condition of our defensive
works.
In the year 1914, when we were fighting
England for the second time. the Brit
ish were permitted to secure control OF
the Chesapeake Bay, and no measures
that wcro in any way effective were taken
to defend Washington, then a city OF
only about five or six thousand inhabi-
tants. The British went up tho Pawtucket
River and disembarked at Benedict,
little more than thirty miles southeast of
the city. The battle of 3ladensburg for
the possession of the nations capital, fol-
lowed. The, battle was fought within ar
tilery range of the city, and the Capitol
was burned.
This sad experience led to the planning
of defensive system worthy the name.
Because Of the existence of this system,
which was far from being complete, the
United States government, at the begin
ming Of the war between the States, had
only to strengthen the old forts, erect a
few new ones, and to employ the navy
to be able to dominate Chesapeake Bay
and the Potomac River so completely that
the Confederate forces could hope 10 cap
ture Washington only by land campaigns
The war Of the sixties was thus an
object lesson for future use, and after
each campaign Of General Lee against
Washington, new defensive works were
erected, and from these were developed
the present defensive system against pos
slble attacks by fleets or armies, Or both.
The joint manoeuvres to begin tonight
are to test the efficiency Of this system
to the end that It may be strengthened
where 1t may DO found to be weak. and
nothing Is to be taken for granted, as ~
1914. The forts and the whole defensive
system are to be put to the severest prac-
teal test possible in make believe" war.
The exercises are to be for another
study: The Chesapeake Bay, where guard
ed by Fortress Monroe, IS only about
twenty miles wide, and number of new
problems having application to the heavy
ornaments and torpedo systems OF mod
ern warfare Will be worked out and set
tied, IL possible.
AS already explained In our news col
umns the joint exercises will involve at
tacks by fleet on the Chesapeake Bay
defensive system, including Fortress Mon
roe and forts at Annapolis, Baltimore and
other points, as well as attacks on the
forts on the Potomac, near Washington.
With u naval base at Norfolk; a strong
fleet will demonstrate against Fortress
Monroe and attempt to make a landing
at some point from which force may
march on Washington. The army division
is to be used to prevent landing and to
defend the capital against an enemy APP
preaching from any direction, and to de-
fend Baltimore at the several forts built
for the protection Of that city.
The exercises will be spectacular and
instructive, and the Army and Navy De.
partments at least think that they will
be worth the cost.
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Words Of Warning.