The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-15
SECRETARY SENDS
SECRET REPOR I

WASHINGTON. Dec IA report
from the war department showing how
the country was iuadequately protect
cd against invasion from foreign gov
ernmentS was sent TO the house to-
day as u secret document. and, after
several conferences and hurried telo-
phone messages. wns returned 10 the
war department because the house
could not receive a secret report
Country Is unprepared.
Members of congress who saw the
document before It's withdrawal say
the report of Secretary Dickinson
points out that the country is wholly
unprcpared for war. that there Is
woeful inadoquacy of men. guns and
ammunition: that the army should
be recognized and that a council OF
national defense. with secretary of
var at its head. should be created by
congress,
The report of General Wood, mark
ed Confidential" dealt with these
matters, and gave official notice to
matters of more or less common
knowledge among army and navy eX-
perts In this country and abroad. In
fact the real significance of the doc.
ument is that Il makes Official ad-
mission of conditions already we'll
known among navy and army off,
cials,
Wood Tells OF Weak Points.
General Wood, before The house mil
ltary committee, furnished some in.
terestinG information He discussed
the whole subject of national defenses.
told where the weak points lay and
laid particular emphasis on the posi-
billty of attack from the Orient He
did not give vent 10 any alarmist
views, but talked confidcntially OF the
prudence of taking immediate action
10 guard against any possible trouble
from Japan or China
Representative MCLachlan OF Call
fornia, author of the resolution
which brought about the exposition of
the military deteuses, said.
Could Land Troops on Pacific.
ANY foreign country could land
100000 troops on the Pacific coast in
thirty days and the only intimation of
trouble would be their blowing up
Of the mountain passes, thus pre-
venting any communication with the
East In the three states west of the
Rocky mountains-Ca California. Oregon
lar troops and 5000 state mllitlamen.
The best military authorities aay
that II would take years TO dislodge
foreign troops IL they ever secured
foothold under these cor tions, and
that 1t would cost the United States
a billion dollars
A bill, introduced by Representative
Hobson, embodies the administration
aT
and is the result OF his conference
with President Taft, Secretary Dick
inson and other officials.
Holding UP Of the Report.
The holding up of the report grew
out OF opposition OF Representative
Tawney. of Minnesota. chairman OF
the appropriations committee. 1t Is
said, he Is understood TO have his at
tentlon called TO II some time ago. He
then called the attention of the pres
ident to the policy OF retrenchment
in appropriations at this time and ad
vised him that. figuratively, if the
conditions cited in the report were
made public. the whole retrenchment
policy would be interfered with.
After looking up precedeuts, the
speaker concluded there was no war.
rant for the reception of the report
as confidential communication.
Therefore. he returned it TO Sccre-
tary Dickinson, with n polite letter,
calling attention 10 the rules of the
house, which requires all ordinary cX-
ecutivc communications to be printed.
Could Not Meet in Secret Session
recognition of the forces OF the
word confidential marked upon the
document would involve It's reference
to a secret session which, the speak.
er said. would be a procedure unpre-
cedented for nearly a century.
Secretary Dickinson received this
letter very late in the day and conse.
qucntly withheld his answer until To-
morrow 1t IS probable that he Will
withhold from the house the appendix
TO the original report, which contin-
ued the confidential matter and re.
submit the document emitting the In
functional confidence.