The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-27
America Is Defenseless
 Ln The Far East

fleet about as long to reach our coasts as 1t required to build fleet of our own. New, however, the ocean, fn- stead of a barrier. is a great avenue of access. It takes years to build~a single ship,s while hostile fleet can arr rive from across the ocean in few weeks. It is a question whether the high order of intelligence and patriot ism of our people will overcome this inherent weakness of free institutions, and make the preparation needed. not only to protect the natfors interest and it's existence in case of war, but also to avert and prevent war, so that, as a peace people. we can work out our destiny In tranquility.
 Thus far 1t looks as though war and disaster will be required to teach this lesson to our people. During these years of peace we have been utterly negiectful, and today we are defence less in the Far East. presenting an urgent invitation to Japan to attack us.
 For many years thoughtful officers have been urginA that we establish strong, fortified naval base at Pearl Harbor. near Honolulu. Yet scarcely a shovel has been turned, and today we have no base in the Hawaiian Islands, the very key to the Pacific Ocean, upon which depend not only our great inter- -ests in the Pacific, but also the vital defense of our Pacific coast. In the meanwhile Japan has been pouring its citizens into these islands. particularly since the war with Russia, until to- day the islands are practically Japa- rese archipelago. The Japanese are ten to one compared te all the white men in the islands. Americans there could be overpowered any day the Jap anese saw fit to rise. E-sry Japar-ese man there has his place in the Japa- nese Army, and his arms snd equipment are kept ready. In case If war thcSe would be landed Instantly. and in the twfnkling of an eye a Japanese divis- ion would be in possession of our .s- lands without meetins any resistance.
 Tine Philippine Islands are almost equally defenceless. From our first oc- cupation of Manila our officers have urged that we hasten to establish a great naval base at subig Bay. olonga- DO, magnificent harbor, wonderfully adapted for the strongest Notifications. I inspected this harbor and outlined base, and urged its speedy establish ment in June of 1900. Others have urged the same thing repeatedly ever since. Today the work is scarcely more than begun, and we are literally without a naval base in all the Philip pine Islands. Some may imagine that it Is imprudent to speak of our weak nesses, lest the Japanese learn of them. Alasi everybody knows of them but Americans. The Japanese have been gathering information in every minute detail concerning all of our elements of defense. Our confiding authorities, following time-honored custom, have freely given them access to almost ev- erything.
 For instance, take thef question of torpedoes and submarines, about which all nations except America have kept the strictest secrecy. The Japanese have experts who periodically visit and inspect our works without objection Recently Japanese commission visited the torpedo works and were shown everything. They readily appreciated why our orders were behind. and that serious difficulties were in the way of their completion, and why we had or- dered fifty torpedoes from abroad Shortly after this a dispatch from abroad which was never denied. re-