Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-11-24
MANILA HELD To
Be IMPROBABLE
coRREeIDoR ISLAND cHARAC-
TERIZED AS GIBRALTAR OF
THE PACIFIC.
HONOLULU ALSO PERFEC LY
PROTECTED AS MIDWAY
NAVAL BASE.

OF several years ana CONCERNING WHICH,
little news has been heralded, the
United States today is in position
to defend the city of Manila against
the fleets of the world.
War is believed to be a long way
off. if ever II is to come, but II the
unexpected happen and some foreign
nation attempt to duplicate DeWeys1
feat. it will find that the way to a.
repetition of that triumph is blocked.
Ever since the Spanish war, the
officials of the army and navy have
been in conflict over the fitness OF
Subig bay as a naval base. 1t might
be nearer the truth to include in the
statement a word to the effect that
the naval officers themselves were oil
vided as to the propriety of making
the bay a great naval station, COM
manded by batteries of artillery to
keep hostile ships outside of the dan
ger zone.
Subig bay is seventy miles from Ma
Mia and the intention originally was
to make it a rendezvous for ships, al
repair station and great fertilization
in one. The army said that Subig
bay, or Olongapo, as it generally is
called, could not be fortified without
the expenditure of millions upon mil
lions of dollars, and that even then
the Notifications would be defenseless
from the land side and the troops
could be swept off the face of the
earth without so much as a chance toI
make a defense. The navy combated
the army position, and the warfare
became warm, although it was con-
tinued under cover of the depart
ments
Olongapo will not be made a great
naval base, but, as a sort of a sop
to the sea opinion, repair station
will be established on the shores OF
the bay and its defense will be left to
the fleets.
corregidor Strong as Gibraltar.
If the Spaniards of some years ago
had been given the sense to fortify
properly the rocky island of Corregi-
dor at the entrance to Manila bay,
Dewey might be rapping for entrance
yet Army officers, and naval Off
GERS too, say that Corregidor is as
strong as Gibraltar The island is a
huge rock with precipitous sides ris-
ing to a great height over the water.
Between Corregidor and a point OIL
the mainland at the mouth of Manila
bay are several. small islands. De-
fensive works will be built up on the
islands, and with these, as an army
officer has put it, there will be a
cinch put on certainty" that no hos
tile ship ever will go through to con-
front Manila with its gun.
Corregidor is practically ready for
the emplacement of its guns; the for.
tifications will be strongly manned
and it will be provided with sufficient
supplies to stand a siege of years.
Bars Approach to Manila.
The officials of the war department
have realized that because of the isO-
lation of the Philippines ordinary for
tifications would be of comparatively
little use if there should be sudden
attack by the enemy. Corregidor,
fortified as it will be, will change the
whole face of affairs as FAR as ease OF
approach to Manila is concerned.
The batteries are built at height
of 400 feet and they command the
shores and the sea for great dis
lance 1t will be possible, in case the
necessity is sharp, to mine the en-
trance to the bay.
Tie Spaniards tried mining, but ap-
parently they did not know how toI
do it, and the American commodore
who stole into the bay on hostile IN
tent OVERRIDE internal machines
which, if they had been properly
placed and prepared, would have sent
him his ships to Davy Jones locker.
The fertilization of Corregidor has
gone on with comparatively little no.
tice. Now that it is practically COM
pleted the army officials are not sol
secretive about it. At any rate It'll
stands where all nations may see it,
though of course the inner fortifica-
ton arrangements never have been
and never will be knowingly given to
the world.
No Japanese were allowed to work
in the construction of the CorregidorI
Notifications. At one time some Chi
nese laborers were employed, but
soon an order was issued that shut
them out also.
If an American fleet should meet
with disaster in eastern waters Ma
Mia bav will prove to be a safe place.
of refuge for the vessels that man.
age to escape destruction. Once an
chored inside Coregidor it is said that
the fleets of the world may batter
away vainly to secure entrance.
OIonoapo In Exposed Position
At Olongapo. where it was first pro-
posed to erect Notifications on the
hills commanding Subig bay, all yes
sells seeking shelter would be open 10
10