The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-11
READY FOR THE WAR GAME.
LAND DEFENSES OF WASHINGTON
TO BE TESTED BY A FLEET.

Biz Guns Are Not to BE Fired. but Crews
VIII Have Plenty OF Good Practise
and Observers VIII Get Ideas for
Real Defense-l0 Ships In Action.
FORT MONROE, June 1o.-No fog that
ever gathered in these parts was thicker
than the cloud of mystery and secrecy
which hovers over Fort Monroe tonight
The Joint exercises Of the army and navy
which are to begin at midnight tomorrow
are the cause. To-day Admiral Dickns.
In command OF the supplemented coast
SQUADRON which Is to constitute the attack
ing party on Washington and Baltimore,
held his last communication with the land
and tonight the whereabouts Of his feet
is unknown.
For weeks the land defenses have been
getting ready for the exercises and now
that their preparations are finished nobody
but the powers that be knows what they
are. Inquiring war correspondents are
politely informed at headquarters here
that there is nothing to be given out, and
limitations Of dire consequences to officers
who are 30 indiscreet as to furnish informa-
ton of any kind are in evidence.
The game that is to be played between
midnight tomorrow and noon next Satur-
day is designated as -joint exercises" to
distinguish 1t from the regulation joint
maneuvers in which the army tries to get
the better of the navy, and vice versa.
The main purpose Of the exercises Is to test
the efficiency OF the Notifications guarding
the water approaches to the national capt.
tai and to the city on Chesapeake Bay.
These are Fort Monroe. which overlooks
A. 10
bay between Cape Charles on the north
and Cape Henry on the south; Forts Wash
ington and Hunt, on the Potomac not far
below Washington, and Forts McHenry
and Howard on the upper channel leading
To Baltimore. This will be no stimulation
OF war in the broadcast sense for no vessels
will be put out OF action. even though con-
str,,ctively riddled, and none OF the bat
teries OF the coast artillery will be tech
nicallv silenced.
Army observers will be with the fleet and
naval observers at the forts. They will
take oopious notes for the future use Of the
two branches Of the service in making
and putting into effect plans for the best
defense of the coast. None OF the big
guns on either side will be fred Firing
Big guns costs much mo ney, and the amou unit
available for incineration this year is not
large as a result OF criticism of the lavish
expenditures at Manassas last summer.
The heavy pieces will be pointed, but only
light charges in the sub-calibre attach
ments or the regulation charges in the
smaller pieces will be exploded.
Briefly, the purposes of the exercises, in
addition to the principal one already mem
toned, is to give the coast artillery plenty
Of gun practise in the daytime and search
light practise at night, with the ships as
targets in both cases From the navy
standpoint the chief ends aimed at will be
practise in the operation OF mine fields
and in running by the land batteries Real
mines, unloaded of course. have been
planted in the apprc aches to the several
forts, but contact with them will not be
considered as sending ship out OF bust
ness, the idea being only to give the navy
an opportunity TO display it's prowess in
removing the mines or countermininR
and destroying them.
Major-Gen Wade, commanding the De-
partment OF the Atlantic, has arrived from
Governors Island and is in general charge
of the land forces. which consist OF fifty
one companies Of coast artillery, or about
half the total strength OF that arm Of the
service distributed at the different forts,
Lieut.-Col Potts is in command at Fort
Monroe, which is regarded as the most
important of the forts involved.
Admiral Dickins's feet consists Of six
teen vessels. which include the battleship
Texas, his flagship; the cruisers Newark
and Atlanta; the monitors Arkansas, Ne
vada, Puritan, Florida; the converted
yachts Siren, Hornet and Sylvia; the torpedo
boat destroyen Whipple, Worden, St. art