Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-30
TO TEST DEFENSE
OF NORTH COAST
SHAM BATTLES SCHEDULED
FOR PUGET SOUND
Navy Department Is Preparing fer Any
Possible Trouble on the Pacific.
News and Gossip from
Washington
cnecial corresnondence of The Herald.

Special Correspondence of The Herald.
WASHINGTON, June "a. - Nervous
inhabitants of the Puget Sound cities
will shortly know whether the defenses
that shield Seattle and Portland from
foreign attack are to be depended upon.
Beginning on July and extenolns
through to the 18th the attack and de-
fense problem will be worked out. InaA
defenders will be made up of the mill
tia and coast artillery on the sound
while small fleet of cruisers, detacnea
from the Pacific squadron, esq
tempt to run past Forts Warder
and Flagler, which defend Seattle, ani
land troops from transports, so as 70
take the forts from the rear.
Cooperating with the regular troops
from the forts will be the Second ln-
fantry regiment of the Washington Ma
tional guard. The tests are being taken
seriously in view of the somewhat un-
settled relations between this country
and Japan At the same time similar
maneuvers will be held at Baltimore,
washington and Philadelphia. A sham
attack and defense was E-ade recently
| in New York harbor, with result that
the attacking fleet found 1t impossible
/ to capture the CITY, The state militia
on that occasion worked In conjunc-
ton with the regular troops with the
greatest enthusiasm and accord, and
! the war department is especially
pleased with the results achieved.
| Although the administration is pooh
poohing the idea that actual trouble
will result from the present controversy
with Japan, it is not taking any
chances. Comprehensive plans for put
ting the navy in a state of prepared
ness for any emergency were submitted
this week by the general board of the
navy to Secretary Metcalf for immedi-
ate dispatch to the president. The gem
eral board of which Admiral Dewey is
the president, is said to recommend that
the entire battleship squadron of the
navy be concentrated 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 recommend that
the government take all such plants
and docks under it's control If such ac-
tion is found necessary to insure quick
results. In addition to all this, Secre-
tary Metcalf, it is announced will
leave Washington next week for Sen
Francisco, where he intends to make q
study of conditions in the ship yards OF
the coast 1t is announced also that
Secretary Straus will visit San Fran
cisco about July IS and may go on to
Honolulu. His trip is to enable him to
study the Japanese immigration prob
lem at close range. IF straws show
which way the wind blows these signifi-
cant acts by the government would in
dicate that a gale is not unexpected.
The old question of establishing fin
ally the state boundary line between
wyoming and Nebraska is in fair
way to be settled. For years there has
been dispute on this question. and
settlers along the line one day believed
they were in Wyoming and the next
were convinced that they were citizens
of Nebraska. While this did not have
any deleterious effect on crops, never
theless it was somewhat annoying, es-
pecially when the tax collector came
around In order to settle all DISPUTE
the interior department this week auA
thorized Edward w. Stable of Chey9
enne, United States surveyor, to take
up the work of re-establishing the
boundary line. Granite will be used
for marks. %
In the appointment of the immigra-
ton commission the administration has
taken official notice of the serious labor
problem involved in the exodus of
nearly 100000 people in 1906 to Canada
and the strenuous and systematic ef<
forts being made by the dominion to-
I
provinces. The construction of the
Grand Trunk Pacific. $500 miles i'm
length. alone is requiring an immense
number of workers. The Canadian
movement on top of the unsatisfied res
ouirements of American industry has
made it imperatiyely necessary that
wise stimulation of immigration be-
taken up, and the newly appointed
commission will make a study OF this
matter Immediately abroad. Until now
Canada has outstripped the United
States i'm it's competition for labor; ones
reason for this lies in the allurements
of the rich and fertile lands which arel
kbeing awakened by the new Grand.
Trunk Pacific. Already 5000 people have
settled where 1t was supposed fivel
years ago no human being could atk
tempt to make a livelihood, and thesm
settlers are said to have found miidf
winters and delightful climatic cone
ditions.
Senator Curtis OF Kansas is ia dan
ger of losing the distinction of beineT
the Only man with Indian blood in hiaf
veins in the United States senate. Af
rival for this distinction is looming iiuD
in the person of Robert L.. Owens of
Muskogee, who comes from Cherokee
Indian stock. and, according to reports
reaching Washington, will be one or
the United States senators from Okla a
homa. if the Democrats capture thu
state legislature, which at the present
time appears probable