The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-03-10
FOR COAST DEFENSE
PRESIDENT SENDS SPECIAL Mes.
| SAGE TO CONGRESS.
Need Of Action, Especially with Re.
GARD to unSular Possessions. Tie
Saws Is ur0ent-cndicOtt Board Re-
port Basis for Estimate, Supple.
mented by Spe CiaI Report.

buSuUSO w 0V&AsOs A&VOsss
Washington, March President
Roosevelt sent a message to congress
yesterday accompanying plans for
coast defense prepared by joint board
of army and navy officers in which he
emphasized the necessity for fruther
defenses, and reviews the history of
the defensive works of the country.
The president calls special atten-
ton to the recommendation of the
board that the entrance of Chesapeake
bay be added to the list of places in
the United States to be defended.
He says the insular possessions
cannot be longer neglected if the Uni
ted States desil es to hold them. De-
lenses are recommended for Manila
bay Pearl harbor, Guantanamo, Guam,
San Juan and Honolulu, because of
their strategic location. Defenses are
also recommended for entrances to the
Panama canal. The message says:
'"Our coast defenses as they existed
in 1860 were not surpassed in ef1cien-
cy by those of any other country, but
within few years the Introduction of
rifled cannon and armor in navies
against which smooth bore guns were
practically useless, has rendered them
obsolete.
''For many years no attempt was
made to remedy the deficiency of these
seacoast Notifications. There was no
establishment In the country equipped
for the manufacture of high power
rifed guns. There was no definite
adopted policy of coast defense, and
congress was reluctant to undertake a
work the cost of which could not be
stated even approximately and the de-
tails had not advanced-so far as
could be ascertained-beyond the ex-
perimental stages
Value OF Endicott Report.
The president gives a review of the
history and work of the 'gun foundry
board" and of the "Endicott board, ;"
which considered coast defenses, and
dwells upon the value of the Endicott
boards report, which ''sets forth q
definite and Ineligible plan or policy
upon which the very important work
of defense should proceed and which
is as applicable as when formulated. I"
improvements in the art of war,
however, have rendered some of the
plans of the board obsolete, and the
board 8 report omitted the cost of land
that must be purchased for fortifica-
tions and the cost of reserve ammuni-
ton. The president continues:
''The omissions in the estimates of
the Endicott board and the changes
in the details Of its plans have caused
doubts in the minds of many as to
the money that will be needed to de-
fend completely our coast by guns,
mines and their adjuncts.
New Plans Necessary.
New localities are pressing their
claims for defense. The insular poss-
essions cannot be held unless the prin-
cipal ports, naval bases and coaling
stations are fortified before the out
break of war. These considerations
have led me to appoint joint board Of
officers of the army and navy to rec
ommend the armament, fixed and
floating, mobile torpedoes, submarine
mines and all other defensive appli-
ances that may be necessary to COM
plete the habror defenses with the
most economical and advantageous
expenditure of money; the board was
further instructed to extend it's exam
nations so as to include estimates re-
lative the defenses of the insular
possessions and to recommend the
order in which the proposed defenses
shall be completed so that all the ele-
ments Of harbor defense may be prop
erly and effectively co-ordinated.
s'The board has completed its lab
ors and its report, together with let
ter of transmittal by the secretary of
war, is hereby transmitted for the in
formation of the congress. !.
THE letter of the secretary of war
contains q comparison of the estimat-
es of the Endicott board with the
amounts already appropriated for the
defenses and the estimates of the new
board, from which it appears that a
complete defense of our coasts, omit
ting cost of ammunition and sites, can
be accomplished for less than the
amount stated by the Endicott board.
even including the additional locali-
ties not recommended by it.
Transpscific Bases.
I'm the insular possessions the great
naval bases at Guantanamo, Subig bay
and Pearl harbor, the coaling stations
OF Guam and San Juan, require pro-
lection and in addition doforooa oro