Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-18
COST HAS BEEN SMALL
1nsuring the Atlantic Coast
Against Disaster.
PREPARING FOR WAR
PUTTING THE DEFENSES IN READ
MESS FOR ATTACK.
To Discover the Weaknesses Has Been
the Aim Of the Joint Military
Exercises of the Past Week.
Special From a stan Correspondent.

Special From Staff Correspondent.
FORT MONROE, Va. June 17.-''Critics
may carp and calamity howlers howl at the
expense and elaborate plans for maneuvers
such as those ended here today. but there
Is something more to them than payment
for the powder expended" an army officer
declared at the Chamberlin Hotel at Old
Point this afternoon. 1.-The business of life
insurance seems to be holding the attention
of the people just now. don't believe
there Is sensible man who does not be-
lieve in life and fire insurance have
looked the matter up little in the past
few years. 1t might be interesting to know
that the average rate of fire insurance on
the Atlantic seaboard. as compared with
the entire amount of property thereon. IS
about three mills on the dollar. Now, L
believe in insurance. and SO do you. and SO
does everybody else, and rejoice In the
cheap rate. Which brings me to what
wanted to say.
I mean, are the best kind OF insur-
ance Of national peace and prosperity.
Just for the sake of comparison. ana
have examined the subject rather care
fully because it is interesting. want
to state that the amount of money expend-
ed on national defense both In the army
and navy. II reckoned as premium ON IN
surance and such we must consider II.
q
the dollar or just one-thirtieth OF what
the insurance rate Is. Did that ever occur
TO YOU when people were crying out against
appropriations for the army and navy! NO.
I reckon it did not. nor does 1t occur TO
most people. but 1t Is a fact"
To Perfect the Defenses.
This is the basis on which the exercises
have been held and 1t is the basis by which
the army and navy officers are working to
Aft fhot xu31 hfa
without equal or rival In the world. As
has been stated before the fundamental
principles involved were the testing of GER
tain elements of the coast defense system
that have heretofore made the country I'M
pregnable In theory, but which have never
been subjected to the practical. test which
the conditions of war would involve. 1t Is
not possible to entirely simulate warfare.
There are times In both land and naval and
combined maneuvers when the problems
reach a point where only actual shot and
shell can determine the questions to be
solved. But up to that point there is
very wide field OF usefulness In the war
maneuver or exercise, whichever IT might
be called, that calls into play all those
faculties in the officers and men. and me
chanical perfection in the equipment that
go to make the perfect fighting machine.
At least that Is what experts here gay.
Both the army and the navy have had a
busy week, and both have reaped untoio
benefits There are many beneficial results
that will come directly to both branches
OF the service through the discovery OF
faults or the evolution OF new theories
based on what has actually happened.
These are things that are plainly apparent,
and the lessons will be Immediately app
piled.
Results of the Exercises.
In the beginning the navy was assigned
sixteen vessels of various size and class.
ranging all the way from craft of the
small pleasure yacht class. which the
exigencies of the service at the time of the
Spanish war caused to be converted into
gunboats, to- the big second class battle
ship Texas. Nine of the ships were large
boats and seven were comparatively small.
The army had about 5000 men available 10
man the Notifications in three artillery dis
tricts. Two of the districts. those of the
tai of the country, and one. the Chesa-
peake, the natural base of any naval oper-
ations the government might carry on In
eastern waters. OF the three, the latter was
the most important and most strongly FORTH
fed, and the demonstrations made against
il. therefore. must be made in force to ac-
complish any results. The admiral conf
manding the naval forces was required 10
cut loose from his base last Saturday.
which he did. He was given twenty-four
hours in which to conceal his fleet. and
fhis time wac sufficient for him to get out
to sea, had he so desired. He did not
desire to do so, however. Instead. he kept
his feet In the bay Just below Baltimore,
and shortly after the exercises opened on
Sunday night he made demonstration
against the forts 1t that place, I'VE In num-