Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-06-30
JAPANESE AFFAIRS
Inland Waterways Commission-Goy- ernment to Prevent Fuel Famine George Washington University-J. "Ham" Lewis Talks Wildly.
Special to the Graphic.

"ooAAA6SOAS uAV GVs-A>VA VOu0 inhabitants of the Puget Sound cit- ties will shortly know whether the defense that shield Seattle and Portland from foreign attacks are to be depended upon. Beginning on July 4, and extending through to the 18th, the attack and de- fense problem will be workAd out. The defenders will be made up of the militia and coast artillery on the sound, while small fleet of cruisers detached from the Pacific squadron, will attempt to run past Forts Warden Casey and Flagler, which defend Seattle, and land troops from transports so as to take the forts from the rear. Co-opera- ting with the regular troops from the forts will be the second infan- try regiment of the Washington national guard. The tests are be- ing taken seriously, in view of the somewhat upsettled relations be- tween this country and Japan. At the same time similar maneuyers will be held at Baltimore, Washing ton and Philadelphia. A sham at- tack and defense was made recently in New York harbor in which the attacking fleet found it impossible to capture the city. The state mili- ita on that occasion worked in con- junction with the regular troops with the greatest enthusiasm and accord, and the War Department is especially pleased with the re- suits achieved.
 Although the administration is pooh-poohing the idea that actual trouble will result from the present controversy with Japan, it is not talking iany chances. Comprehenr cive plans for putting the navy in a state of preparedness for any emergency were submitted this week by the general board of the Navy to Secretary Metcalf for inn mediate dispatch to the President. The general board of which Admiral Dewey is the president, is said to recommend that the entire battle ship squadron of the navy be con- centrated on the Pacific coast, and that prompt measures be taken to improve to the highest point of efficiency, the shipbuilding plants and dry docks on the Pacific; so strong is this last recommendation that the board goes so far as to re- commend that the government take all such plants and docks under it's control if such action is foun dneces- sary to insure quick results. In ad- dition to all this, Secretary Metcalf it is announced will leave Washing ton next week for San Francisco where he intends to make study
 
 the coast. It is annouced also that Secretary Strauss will visit San Francisco about July IS and may so on to Honolulu. His trip is to enable him to study the Japanese immigration problem at close range. If straws show which way the wind blows, these significant acts by the government should indicate that a gale is not unexpected.
 The new Inland Waterways Com mission has no greater admirer than Carl E. Bennett, of Bangor, Me-, who is in town for few days. Mir. Dennett believes that the counkry yet will turn to it's streams, not only as means of transportation but also for developing power for the operation of mills and factories. power, he says, will mean more to the South and West than anything in a commercial way that has taken place in many years, for the reason that those sections probably have more natural advantages for this development than has the North In Maine, MT. Dennett says, hydro electric power has been developed to great extent, and he cited Where one firm in his state recently made twenty-five year contract for operating it's plant at s5,000 per year, where formerly it had operat-