Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-07-01
Our Unprotected Coast.
New York SUM-


battleship in commission on the Pa
cific Coast or in Asiatic waters. Our
sea power on the other side of the
continent consists of armoved and
protected cruisers and gunboats.
That being the case, would it not be
well to give heed to the admonition
of rigadier-General Thomas NJ. An
derson, t. S. A.. retired, that "if il is
the adopted policy of the govern
ment to keep all of our battleships on
the Atlantic seaboard, then at least
the bulk of the army should be kept
on the Pacific Coast" General An
derson, who led the land assault on
Manila on August IS, 1898. has been
arousing the people of the Pacific
Coast to their defenseless condition
by addresses and written articles. In
letter to the Portland Chamber of
Commerce on April 25 he wrote:
"Our military land forces on this
coast | estimate from the last army
list to be 10000 regulars, exclusive
of the staff corps OF these approx
imately 1900 are in the Department
of the Columbia, including those in
Alaska. OF 1000 organized militia
there are 1900 in Oregon and Wash
ington and $500 in California. This
makes an apparent force of 1000
soldiers. From this must be deducted
5000 men segregated for the coast
defense batteries and forts. This
| leaves a field force of 5000 men to
defend 1900 miles of sea coast, and
which, on account of geographical
conditions, must be divided into three
detachments."
= General Anderson went on to say
that only 10000 regulars are avail
able, outside of our dependencies, to
repel invasion of the Pacific Coast,
and that only $4,000 militia could be
counted on to reinforce the regulars
in one month at the best" since It
takes eight days to transport an in
fantry regiment with field equipment
across the continent, and IA days for
a field battery or squadron of cav
airy.
In an article in the May number
of the Pacific Monthly General An
derson sounds the warning that II
the American people are to feel Sc
cure from attack on the Pacific
Coast in the future they must resort
to obligatory training for manhood
military service" What Is our con-
dition? he asks. We are strong in
battleships, but when a nation be-
gins to build Dreadnoughts 1t is
plain indication that 1t breads some
thing" Captain Mahan in his sew
eral books on sea power has lulled
the country into a false security,
General Anderson submits. People
say that the navy will never let an in
vading force approach the coast, for
getting that the United States has
two coasts, one of which has always
been unprotected or inadequately
guarded At the present time 1t is
the Pacific Coast.
1t Is idle to contend that the
cruiser squadrons in its waters could
prevent the landing of a Japanese
army conveyed by a great battleship
fleet, 1T is not true" maintains
General Anderson, that the results
OF great wars have been decided by
naval victories. The final results
have always been achieved by vic
tories on land" That was certain
" the case in the titanic struggle be-
tween Japan and Russia; and al
though General Anderson can not
he accepted as Captain Mahan,s peer
/ as military historian, II Is not to
be doubted that in the event of
conflict between the United States
and japan when the battleship fleet
was on the Atlantic Coast rapidly
executed invasion by the enemy IN
force would achieve some very far
reaching and demoralizing results II
they were not final.
While there is not a cloud the
size of a mans hand on the Far East
erin horizon and American relations
with japan are most friendly and full
OF promise OF continued amity, It Is
proper TO applaud General Anderson
for telling the American people that
they fail in a patriotic duty to them
selves when precautions are not
taken TO prepare for an invasion that
may never come, but that might have
ruinous consequences II II surprised
them without arms in their hands