The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-20
JAPANESE COULD
TAKE IND0-CHINA
Remarkable Report Read In French
Chamber.
URGENT NEED OF DEFENSES
TOTAL COST WOULD AMOUNT TO
$42,ooo,oOO.

DARIS. May I'm. Francois De
IoucJe republican, deputy Tor
Iudo-China. has submitted 70
the special parliamentary commit
tee on naval affairs a remark
able report on the urgent uecese
sity for strengthening the defenses Of
IHdo-Chiua against the peril of a Jap
anese invasion. 'IndO-China," he says,
has only two enemies to fear, namely,
Japan alone. or China, encouraged and
supported by Japan The former con-
stitutes d real danger. for Japan has
much 10 gain and little to risk. and her
isolated position makes her almost in
Vulnerable to US She could IN few
weeks throw 100 GOO men into I1dO-
China. and easily reinforce this first
landing party The first phase OF such
a struggle would consist of Japau's ef-
forts to secure mastery of the sea in
order 10 reinforce her troops.
Superior Fleet,
Owing to Japan-s great superiority
I'm naval forces in far eastern waters
our feeble division would not risk r
decisive battle. but would fan mack
on our only naval base. Saigon There
it would be bIOckaded as the Russians
were bI0ckaded within Port Arthur.
With our division thus bottled Up. ia
pan could oppose the junction of the
bloCkadcd warships with the relief
squadron and. having secured the mas
terry of the sea, japanese transports
would be free to land invading forces
She has two admirable anChora EeS
ready for her transports, at kawrauh
bay and Port Dayet. She probably
would take the first. as nearer to Sal
gOu- Japan wound thus be established
on the sea route connecting TOnquiu
and Cochin-Chiua. and who could
prevent itH In the present condition
/ of our defeuses- could we resist such
an attack Evidently not and within
a brief time IndO-Chiua would be the
( prey of the invader
Means of Defense.
The report then examines the means
+ which it Is necessary to adopt for the
/ defense of the colony. and SAYS the best
solution of the problem is to strongly
. reinforce IndO-Chiua so that the col
ouy may be able to defend itself for
/ several months against the japanese.
until French naval divisions reached
the theatre of operations The pro-
gramme to accomplish this consists OF
q large augmentation of the naval force
. in the far east, an increase of the mill
taTy force of occupation TO a minimum
. of -. 900 men. the establishment of
/ strong naval bases at Saigon. KAN
Tanh bay. Along bay and PulOc0UC0r.
and the CSta bIIshment Of torpedo boat
F and submarine boat stations at Cape
St. James. Kamranh bay and Turau.
The report concludes with asserting
. that it would be puerfle to disregard
the gravity of the situation There
/ fore. ii Is necessary TO make large sac
. rifiCeS to place IndrO-China i'm readi-
/ ness to meet the shock
Cost of the Work.
/ Detailed estimates are given of the
f cost Of the work. namely. the f0rtiiCa-
. ton Of TOnquiH. guns and armament
So 900 000- coast defenseS- including
strengthening the naval base ut Sal
+ gon. S14O00.GOO. and the establishment
Of torpedo and other stations. S5.Q00.10o
. a total of 1900. 00o.
NJ. DeIoDCIa is a member of the sne-
/ CiaI parliamentary committee on naval
. affairs which appointed him to submit
. a report with a programme of the de-
/ lenses necessary 10 place lu1U-lhlna
in 4 condition IN resist an attack