The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-04

WASHINGTON. Feb. THE army
ef the United States is totally unpre-
pared for war.
Our elaborate system of coast de-
Tense offers little security. owing TO
Its defenseiessness against land at
tack
1t was learned by the United Press
to-day that these two facts will be
pointed out with startling elearness
when the general staff of the army
makes public report upon which
q mas been working for the past two
years. The report will set out a
comprehensive plan for the reor-
ganfxafiun OF the army with prop
erIy proportioned and effective hight
ing machine as the objective,
An apparently innocuous para
graph in the sreeesste anauaI report,
Of the chief OF stan. winch declared
that no recommendation for Increase
IN any corps OF the army wAaid lie
made until the Reorganization plan
prepared by the general staff should
pc presented, was the firss intimation
that the high military authorities of
the government contemplated such a
move IL has been known. however.
In the inner military circles for come
time thai the critical state OF our
national defenses has been causing
the administration great uneasiness
One Of the leading officials of the
administration. an eminent military
authority in discussing the subject
for the United Press to-day points
out some of the glaring weak esses
which have influenced the general
STAINS new plan.
Not a World Power.
Our position as "a world power
10 really assumed" l1s said. "ant its
continuance Is entirely dependent
upon the acquieseenee Of foreign
cabinets. The powerful coast de-
lenses which girdle our coast line
constitute an element of national
weakness. owing to their derenseiess
condition against land attack 1t is
not divulging any military secret
when / say that any enterprising
enemy can take the most powerful
OF these defenses from the land side
without difficulty. The studding Of
every port OF entry with the most
powerful ordnance causes no concern
abroad so long as we build these
eestly fortificati6ns and don't prepare
: 70 defend them from land No
: naval commander will ever bring his
ships within range OF their fire when
the landing of military force at a
contiguous point Will ensure their de-
struction. with the defenders unable
TO bring single gun to bear on the
attacking forces.
These defenses girdie our coast
hne. To protect them against land
attack we have. widely scattered. APP
proximate1y thirty thousand regular
soldiers. Supplementing this force,
the national guard aggregates 10000.
II h known to the military authori-
ties that Germany can. without great
AnnA Lee mn 4
any point on the Atlantic scaboard
within two weeks.
roor Coast Defense.
ssOn the Pacific coast. Japan can,
within three weeks land 100000 vet
Grams at any given point and double
the force within ten days. In pos
session Of any Of our fortified harbors.
II would take this nation six months
even 1, prepare for the first oife nsive
mcyrns ant against an enemy on either
coast. and the time In years 1t would
take us to dislodge them. unless
disgracefui peace was forced upop us.
y entirely problematical. In this con-
4pco1om statistics show that LIZ, held
- 49, sst Petersburg aSai,ist troops
army OF 10000, holding tras ponir- |
Husar at San Francisco, would have
~ mon per yard. An army Il $780,
900 men at either Boston or New
Turk In control OF the sea derenses
could hold out indefinitely against an
Amy i've times their ndmber.
The infantry constitutes .te heart |
1 ~ punch of The army, snd We are
etchedly weak In s4hfs arm Of the
a ice. E.ghs ef our thirty regiments |
4. stationed in the Philippines ana |
8.sef In Alaska. We could not mo-
me a sufficient force on either r..ast /
prevent landing of q determined