The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-17
At MERCY OF 4 FOREIGN FOE.
REPORT PRESENTED TO CON
GRESS SAYS COUNTRY Is
INADEQUATELY PRO
TECTED.
CHIEF of STAFF. i'm Examination Before
House Committee, Points Out Ma
tion's Weakness-IIObsOn Proposes
National Defense Council.

ment showing that the country is in
adequately protected against invasion
from foreibn governments was sent
to the house today as a secret docu-
ment and. after number of con-
ferences and hurried telephone mes
sages, was returned to the war de-
partment on the ground that the
house could not receive a secret rel
port.
Members who saw the document
before its withdrawal say it is a re-
port OF j. NJ. Dickinson, secretary of
war; that it points out that the coun-
try is wholly unprepared; that there
Is a woeful inadequacy of men, of
guns and of ammunition; that the
army should he reorganized and that
council OF national defense, with
the secretary Of war at it's head,
should be created by congress. The
report of Gen. Wood, which was
marked CONFIDENTIAL" dealt with
these material and srave official ad-
mission to matters that are OF more
or less common knowledge among
army and navy experts in this coun-
try and abroad. In fact, the real
significance of the document is that
Ii makes official admissions of these
conditions.
Gen. Wood, in is testimony before
the house military committee today
furnished some of the most interest
ing information ever given before that
body. He discussed the whole sub
ject of national defense. told where
the weak points lay. and laid par
ticuiar emphasis ON the possibility OF
attack from the, Orient. He ala no,
give, vent to any alarmist views as to
danger of any lmmsdiats .invssions
Fbut talked c6ffndentiaily OF the need
or changes as precedent and valuab!
to guard against trouble from Japan
or China.
Representative MacLachlan, the
author Of the resolution which
brought the official exposition Of the
weakness of the military defense, said
today:
"A foreign country could land 200
600 troops on the Pacific coast in 80
days. and the only ;ntimation OF
trouble would be the blowing up OF
the mountain passes. thus prevent
ing any communication with the East
In the three States west Of the Rocky
ountains-California, Oregon and
Washington--we have 5000 regular
troops and 5000 State militiamen
The best military authorities say tha,
II would take years to dislodge for
eign troops II they ever got a foot
hold under these conditions, and
that 1t would cost the United States a
billion OF dollars"
The bill introduced today by Rep
resentative Hobson provides for a ma
tlonal council for defense and is the
result OF his conference with Presi-
dent Taft. Secretary Dickinson and
other officials.
The war departments precaution to
protect the report led to a serious
mix-up i'm the house. The report was
marked confidential" but that pre-
cFution was indicated only on a part
OF the document. In the routine
handling OF the report it was passed
along with other executive documents
to the clerks office, where such mat
ters are open to public inspection, but
almost instantly it's confidential na-
ture was discovered and 1t was with
drawn to the privacy Of the speakers
Office.
After looking into the precedents
the speaker concluded that there was
no warrant for the reception of tho
report as u confidential communica-
ton. Therefore he returned it To- Sec
retarf Dickinson with "a polite letter
calling attention to the rules of the
house, which reqcire all originally
! executed communications To bc
printed.
The secretary received this letter
very late I'm the day and consequently
withheld his answer until tomorrow
1t Is probable that he will withhold
from the house the appendices To the
I original report which. after ~. con-
tanned the only really confidential
matter and resubmit the document
emitting the injunctlonal confidence.