The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-15
WAR CHIEFS
SECRET IS OUT
Confidential Report to Congress
Says Country Is Not Prop
erly Defended.
HOUSE RETURNS DOCUMENT
WITH POLITE LITTLE NOTE
Dickinson Reminded That Rules
Do Not Permit Receiving
Such Papers.

WASHINGTON, Dec IA report
from the war department showing how
the country was inadcquately protected
against invasion from foreign govern
ments, was sent 10 the house today as a
secret document. and. after several con-
ferences and hurried telephone messages
was returned to the war department be-
cause the house could not receive IA
secret report
Members of congress who saw the doc
ument before its withdrawal. say the
report of Secretary Dickinson points out
that the country is wholly unprepared
for war; that there Is a woeful made
quacy OF men, guns and ammunition:
that the army should be reorsanized ara
that IA council OF national defense, with
secretary OF war 1T It's head. should
be created by congress.
The repor. OF General Wood. marked
Confidential, dealt with these matters.
and gave official notice to matters OF
more or less common knowledge among
army and navy experts liz this country
and abroad. In fact. the real sienifi-
cance of the document is that il makes
OFFICIAL admission OF conditions already
well known among navy and army Off
ciais.
Apprehensive of Orient.
General Wood. before the house mill
tary committee, furnished some interest
ing information. lie 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. lie did moi give vent
10 any alarTist views, but talked con-
lidentially OF the prudence OF fakin~
immediate action TO guard against amy
possible trouble from Japan or China.
Representative McLachlan OF California.
author OF tho resolution which brought
about the official eXrositions OF the
weakness or the military defenses. said;
a foreign country could land 2oQ.0 600
troops on The Pacific coast in thirty days:
and the only intiinaticn of trouble would
be their blowing up OF the mountain
passes, thus preventing any communities
tion 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.
Tho best military authorities say that II
troops II they ever secured foorhold
and that il would cos; the United States
a billion dollars
Secret Report Returned.
\ bill. introduced by Representative
Hobsoa. embodies the administration idea
nf national council for defense. and is
the result OF his conference with Presi-
dent Taft. Secretary Dickinson and other
officials.
The holding up of the report grew out
of the opposition OF Representative Taw-
ney of Minnesota, chairman o: the appro-
pria!ions committee. He then called the
attention OF the president Ia the policy
ot rc1rcnchmcnt in appropriations ar this
time and advised him that fiGuratively.
il the conditions cited in the report were
made public, the Whole retrench'nent
policy would be interfered with.
After looking ,nor up presidents; nn 1 rr dms
for the reception Of tho report as con
fidnntial communication. Therefore he
returned Il 10 Secretary Dickinson with
a polite letter.
4 recognition Of the force OF the word
.confidentiaI marked upon the docu-
ment would involve It's reference 10
secret session. which, the speaker said.
would be procedure unprecedented for
nearly a century.
Secretary Dickinson received this letter
very late in the day, and consequently
withheld his answer until tomorrow IT
is probable that he will withhold from
the house the appendix 10 The original
report which continued the confidential
matter. and resubrnit the document omit
ting the injuncuonal confidence.