Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-07-19
OREGON SOLDIERS
QUICK TO LEARN THE ART OF
COAST DEFENSE.
Three Days Of Instruction at Fort Stevens
Develops Gratifying Aptitude for Service
Possibilities and Probabilities CoIum-
bias Natural Fortifications MANAGEMENT
of the Big Guns.
Cor. Oregonian.

Cor. Oregonian.
After three days of instruction at
the big coast defense guns the Ore
gon guardSmen assigned to this post
and to Fort Columbia, across the
river, are able to handle not only the
mechanical part of the batteries. but
are qualifying in the intricate prob
lens of locating targets in the harbOr
and sinking them. An Oregon gun
crew loaded and fired Finch NOR
tar this forenoon in ~ seconds,
whereas the record for the garrison
is 81 seconds. The volunteer crew
intends trying to clip few seconds
off that record before the end of the
week.
Another crew stationed in the pri-
mary station, or observation tower,
picked out boat in the harbor.
caught the range and transmitted
firing instructions to the mortar bat
terry in 40 seconds. This complicated
process requires ~ seconds from the
expert of the regular service. The
guardSmen have now reached that
stage in their training wherein.
should the occasion arise, they could
locate hostile fleet. overcome the
problems of range, tide, drift, curva-
ture of earth, speed of individual
warships and manipulation of artil-
lery so as to connect 10 and 12-inch
projectiles with the enemy's feet and
cOnsign it to the fish.
The coast defense maneuvers have
established even at this early stage
the adaptability of volunteers for
coast artillery service. 1t is learned
from an authoritative source that
great difficulty has been experienced
by the Government in recruiting
companies of heavy artillery. Coast
defense garrisOns usually are isolated,
a fact which pals on many of the en-
listed men. Recruits as rule state
a preference for one of the other arms
of the service.
The success of the Government
experiment with volunteers is conse-
quently of great Importance. Under
the showing made in this instance,
it is evident there need be no short
age of men in the event of hOstilities.
Volunteers can be rushed to coast
garrisons and instructed in their du-
ties before any hostile feet could
reach this coast, even from SO near
as Japanese waters. The guardsmen
who are being trained now could be
used largely or a new and larger
force could be trained.
Colonel L. H. Walker, artillery
district commander, who is directing
the drills and maneuvers, expresses
himself as more than pleased with
the showing made by the Oregon
troops. and is convinced that the
problem of manning coast companies
to their full quota is settled. Speak
ing of the work of the militiamen
Colonel Walker said:
With the few days of drill we
had it is already plain that volunteers
would be of immediate use in case of
actual warfare. The guardsmen take
hold of the work readily. They are
quick to learn and it is now plain
that they can be converted into USE
full coast artillerymen in the course
of few days.
This is because of the fact that
they are usually educated. We find
civil engineers and expert mathema-
ticians in the ranks and their train
ing in artillery duties is compara-
lively easy. The Oregon Guard has
made an excellent showing here and
right now are competent to help man
the big guns.
Il do not believe there is any
feet in the world that could force en-
trance to the harbor," )" said Colonel
Walker, in discussing the war footing
of the Notifications. 1.-THE larger
battleships could hardly find water
to float them and the cruisers and
torpedo boats could not survive the
fire in passing through the compar
atively narrow harbor. The mortars
and 10-inch batteries would make
short work of a fleet of cruisers and
the six.lnch rifles could handle the
torpedo-boat doubt if any power
would so much as attempt to get in.
AS to possible shortage of coast
artillerymen, that need not be O mat
ter of concern in the future, now that
it is shown how readily volunteers
can be trained for the service. AS
for infantry supports, $4,000 men
could be thrown in from the Coast
country in a few days, or an even
larger force, if needed"
That a shortage of enlisted men
might prove serious inconvenience
in event of war with Japan is admit
ted by tacticians. Hostilities in such
a war would be confined to Pacific
and Asiatic waters, without doubt.
If by some maneuver the japanese
could gain entrance to the Columbia
river it would be next to impossible
to dislodge them, at least before
powerful guns could be put in posi-
ton inland. Two or three shells
would do for Astoria and q similar
number would suffice to set Portland
afire. Landing parties, under cover
of naval fire, could have all the liber-
ties of shore and the japanese, by
maintaining their position, could tap
the resources of the region.
Such a condition is possible, of
course, but altogether improbable,
and is only cited to indicate the i'm
portance of the Notifications here
and of having them fully and proper
ly manned. A perfect hailstorm of
projectiles could be centered upon
the relatively narrow channel and
naval experts say no ship could pass,
unless by miracle. Surviving the
shore batteries it would only fall a
victim to the submarine mines. A
detachment of Oregon men is being
thoroughly drilled in the service OF