The San Francisco call., 1910-12-15
NATION is NOT
PROTECTED FROM
FOREIGN FOES
Secretary Dickinson Points Out
WOeful Inadequacy of Army
and Ammunition
Confidential Report Advising
Council of Defense Is Re
turned by House

WASHINGTON Dec IA report
from the war department showing how
inadequately the country is protected
against invasion from foreign govern
nents was sent to the house today as a
secret document. and. after several con-
ferences and hurried telephone mes
sages. was returned to the war depart
ment because the house could not re-
ceive a secret report.
Members Of congress who saw the
y document before its withdrawal say the
report Of Secretary Dickinson points
out that the country is wholly unpre-
pared for war; that there is a woeful
inadeQuscy Of men, guns and ammuni-
tion' that. the army should be reor-
ganized. and that a council of national
defense. with a secretary Of war at its
head. should be created bv congress.
The report Of General Wood, marked
confidential" dealt with these matters
apc gave Official notice of matters Of
more or less common knowledge among
army and navy experts in this country
and abroad. In fact the real signif-
canoe OF the document is that it makes
Official admission Of conditions already
wei known among army and navy Off
GERS
POINTS OUT WEAK SPOTS
General Wood, before the house mill
tary committee furnished interesting
Information. He discussed the whole
subject of national defenses. told where
the weak points lay, and laid particular
emphasis on the possibility of attack
from the orient. He did not give vent
70 any larmist views. but talked con-
hdentially Of the prudence Of taking
immediate action TO guard against any
possible trouble from Japan or China.
Representative McLachlan Of Califor-
MIA, author Of the resolution which
brought about the Official expositions of
the weakness Of the military defenses,
said:
A foreign country could land 2OO-
600 troops on the Pacific coast in go
DAYS. and the only intimation of trou-
h.e would be their blowing up Of the
mountain passes. thus preventing com
munication with the east In the three
states west OF the Rocky mountains
California. Oregon and Washington
We have 5000 regular troops and 5000
state militiamen. The best military
authorities say that ii would take
years TO dislodge foreign troops if they
ever secured a fOothold under these
conditions and that ii would cost the
United states billion dollars"
FANORS NATIONAL COUNCIL
b A bin introduced by Representative.
Hobson embodies the administration
idea of a national council for defense
snd is the result OF his conference with
President Taft Secretary Dickinson
and other officials
The holding up Of the report grew
out of opposition Of Representative
Tawney Of Minnesota. chairman of the
appropriation committee. IL is said He
Is 1l-derSr Ood 10 have had his attention
called 10 II some time ago. He called
The attention Of the president to the
policy of retrenchment in appropria-
tions at this time and advised him that
fEuustiVely. 81 the conditions cited in
the report were made public the whole
rerrenchment policy would be inter
fered with
~CONFTDENTIAL" BARS REPORT
After looking up precedents the
speaker concluded there was no war
rant for the reception of the report as
confidential communication. There
fore he returned II to Secretary Dick
inson with a polite letter. calling at
fention 10 the rules Of the house, which
require all ordinary executive com
munications TO be printed
a recognition Of the force Of the
word confidential" marked upon the
document would involve its reference
70 = secret session, which. the speaker
said. would be a procedure unprece-
lented for nearly century.
Secretary Dickinson received this let
Ter late i'm the day and consequently
withheld his answer until tomorrow
II is probable ne will withhold from
The house the appendices to the orig
inal report which contained the con
Gdentisl matter. and resubmit the doc
ument. emitting the injunctional con-
ederce