The Washington herald., 1907-12-08

over $6,5o000 for ammunition. and 5000
for experiments with automobile tor
pedoes.
The board recommended over TWO and
a half millions for defending Boston
Fort Warren. a fve-pointed star, now
commands Nantucket Roads. It Was first
built long ago 10 protect D'Estaing's
helpful feet. Like Fort Monroe. II is
also medieval in appearance with its
gray walls and moat and played its part
In history as the prison Of Alexander
Stephens, vice president Of the COnfed-
eracy. Of Mason and Slidell when they
were taken from the Trent" and OF
several Confederate generals who vainly
staked their all on the tickle god Of war
Fort Independence. with its five bastions.
Is silent Around IL cling memories OF
Ia Tour and his gay French officers who
stopped on their way 70 St. Johns OF
Andres, who tried to escape IN woman's
clothes, Of President John Adams who
dedicated the stone structure. and OF the
gay young officers who made OF the yard
a dueling ground.
Samuel J. Tncen was one 81 the coun-
try's most earnest advocates Of an ade-
quate coast defense, and an old cartoon
shows him trembling as he looks TO sea
for possible naval invasion. II was Cleve-
lands first Secretary Of War. William c.
Endicott who formulated the present
plan Of defense He recommended that
twenty-seven ports be fortified. and %
these Puget Sound was later added. He
suggested the construction OF 67 guns
q - 80
floating batteries . cost over 81. 0G0.0o0.
TWO years ago the President convened a
new board 10 improve on the Endicott
plans. This Is known as the Taft board.
and its suggested improvements call for
the expenditures above enumerated. II is
said that in 1s60 our coast dcfcnses were
not surpassed by those Of any other coun-
try. then came arm0red navies and rifed
cannon, and our once impregnable forts
became practically back numbers By
1883 there had been no Improvement. then
the nation walked I'D and made the de-
lenses that now masquerade as protectors
OF the people.
There has come a revolution IN fort
building just as Il came in the building
OF battle ships Once impressive piles OF
masonry were the accepted idea Of per-
feet Notifications. Then came the armor-
ed vessels that hurled powerful shot from
rified guns against the stone walls. and
the shower OF masonry that resulted
showed that a fort Of that kind was an
enemy's best ally. Now Notifications of
/ sand and earth bury the huge iron balls
I in their depths or catch the shattered
particles OF shells as they fall Cushing's
Idea Of torpedo on the end OF pole as
a destructive element IN war has been
applied in the form Of electrically oper-
ated mines and tOrpedoes that lie in har-
Dor beds 70 attack the bottoms OF hostile
ships SearchIights pick Up vessels miles
away and record suspicious characters in
time Of war just as the temporary look
7 out towers all along the coast during the
Spanish-Americau war wired information
al over the country when the enemy
might least expect IT, Whether or not
Pinckney said Millions FOR defense, the
commercial and political integrity Of the
nation demand its application. and when
the suggestions Of the Taft board have
| been carried into effect neither New Eng
/ land nor South Carolina nor California
need tremble when the battle ships 90 for
| an outing.
| To-morrou-A Great Civic Forum