The Irish standard., 1910-12-17
SENSATIONAL WAR DEPARTMENT.
DOCUMENT CAUSES FURRY
IN THE HOUSE.
IMAGINARY ARMY DESTROYS us
Declares That U. 8. Is Wholly Un.
prepared-Paper Is Rejected
After Being Seen by Many
SolonS.

ing how the country was inalequately
protected against invasion from for4
eign governments was sent to tho
house as secret document. and after
q number of conferences and hurried
telephone messages was returned to
the war department on the ground
that the house could not receive a se-
eret report With 391 members OF
that body the contents of the report
would stand chance of leaking out
to the public Immediately, in the opin-
ion of those who conferred on the
subject when the remote contingency
mentioned.
Members Of congress who saw the
document before it's withdrawal say
the report of Secretary Dickinson
points out that the country is wholly
unprepared. that there is woeful in.
adequacy of men, guns and of ammu-
milton, that the army should reor-
ganized and that a council of national
defense, with a secretary of war at
its head, should be created by con-
gress. The report of General Wood,
which was marked CONFIDENTIAL" dealt
with these matters and gave official
admission to matters that are of more
or less common knowledge among
army and navy experts in this coun,
try and abroad.
General Wood in his testimony be-
fore the house military committee
furnished some Of the most interesting
information ever given before that
body. He discussed the whole SUBJ
ject Of national defenses, told where
the weak points lay, and laid partic-
ular emphasis on the possibility Of at.
tack from the Orient. He did not give
vent to any alarmist views as to dan
ger of any immediate invasion, but
talked confldentially of the need OF
act, to take immediate action to guard
against any possible trouble from Jar
pan or China.
Landing Would Be Easy.
Representative McLachlan of Cali
fornia, the author of the resolution
which brought about the official ex-
position of the weakness Of the mill.
tary defense, said:
"A foreign country could land 2OO,-
900 troops on the Pacific coast in 80
days, and the only intimation OF
trouble would be their blowing up of
the mountain passes, thus preventing
any communication with the East. In
the three states west of the Rocky
mountains-California, Oregon, and
Westinghouse have 5000 regular
troops and 5000 state milittamen. The
best military authorities say that it
would take years to dislodge foreign
under these conditions, and that it
would cost the United States $1,00e,.
100000.
The bill introduced by Representa-
tive Hobson embodies the administers
ton idea of a national council for de-
tense and is the result of his confer
ence with President Taft, Secretary
Dickinson and other officials. The
holding up of the report grew out OF
opposition of Representative Tawney
Of Minnesota. Mr.. Tawney is under
stood to have had his attention called
to the report some time ago, where
upon he hurried to the White House,
called the attention of the president
to the policy of retrenchment in ap-
preparations at this time and advised
him that, figuratively, If the conditions
cited in this report were made pub
lie the whole retrenchment policy
would be interfered with.
Judgeships in Dakotas.
| Senators McCumber and Senator
Purcell and Representative Gronna
and Hanna of North Dakota. urged the
president to nominate Judge Charles
F. Amidon, federal district Judge Of
North Dakota, as circuit judge in place
of Judge Vandervanter, nominated for
Justice of the supreme court of the
United States.
Representative Burke OF South Dar
kota took up with the president the
selection of United States district
Judge for South Dakota to take the
place of Judge John E. Garland, who
was named as circuit Judge upon
the court of commerce bench. There
are SO many candidates for this place
and such lack of agreement among
that state that President Taft is not
expected to act very soon on his jul
dicial nomination.
For Lead, 8. D., Building. 3
| Bids were opened at the treasury
department for the constr,ction of the
public building at Lead, s. D. The
bidders were: King Lumber company
Charlottesville, Va, $4,000; w. D.
Lowell, Minneapolis, Mimi. $4,000; ].
H. Weise, South Dakota, Neb., $6s,sS1.
Fourth Supply Bill Reported.
The legislative, executive and ju4
| dicial appropriations bill aggregatins
$35, 325,219 to $432,S75 less than the
estimates was reported to the house
by the appropriations committee. II
is the fourth of the big supply meas.
ures. The bill makes numerous re-
auctfcns in the various departments.