St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-15

island, This fort will not be placed
there to meet the attack of battle
ships. 1t will be practically out OF
their range. 1t will be supplied with
long-range, quick-firing guns de-
signed to sweep the shallow water IN
tervening between the greater fort
and the point OF Cape Charles.
The purpose of the Chesapeake de-
lenses is almost purely defensive. All
three of the cape forts are on soil
that, in the event of war. will be
American territory There is no need
to consider the designing of protec-
ton for the forts from the incursions
of an enemy from inland In none OF
the other cases is this true. In Pearl
Harbor, with the navy destroyed, the
Notifications would be at the mercy
of such troops as an enemy might
land in the rear were they not de-
signed to fight in every direction, en-
fIading an enemy on No. 4, as we'll as
holding cut against an attack from
outside.
Another feature of the Chesapeake
defenses is that they are primary de-
lenses of ports that have each of them
their own defenses. Norfolk. Ports
mouth and Newport News have the
| splendid batteries at Fortress Monroe
to guard them, even supposing the
cape forts should fall. Baltimore is
defended by series of heavy bat
teries id the, upper Chesapeake, and
Washington by the superb modern bat
teries at Fort Washington and Fort
Hunt on the Potomac, about 20 miles
south of the national capital.
| Plans for the defenses of the Pan
anna canal were laid down by the Taft
board in 1906. Now new board has
| been appointed to plan anew the de-
lenses of the great interoceanic ditch.
| 1t will consist of Brig. Gen. Crozier,
chief of ordnance; Brig. Gen. William
L. Marshall, chief of engineers; Brig.
Gen. Arthur Murray, chief of the coast
artillery; Brig. Gen. w. w. Wither-
spoon, assistant chief of the general
staff; Brig. Gen. Tashker H. Bliss,
Capt. Staunton, U. s. NJ: Comman-
der Rogers, U. s. NJ, and Major Ham
!, of the artillery, who will serve as re-
corder.
| This board is going to Panama early
in January. 1t is the general opinion
in army circles that 1t will recommend
an application Of the plans OF the
1906 board. That it will recommend
the use Of the heaviest ordnance is
certain.
The purpose of the fertilization OF
the newly selected Pacific navy base
at Pearl Harbor is part of Presi-
dent Taft's policy regarding the Phil
ippines. President Taft believes that
eventually the Filfpinos will earn
their independence. Hawaii does not
want independence. This is part of
the reason for the selection of Pearl
Harder is naval base.
| Although not Gibraltar in the
sense Of the Chesapeake and other
projected Notifications, the defenses
of the entrance to Subig bay, the
nearest point of attack on Manila, are
interesting for the reason that they
have direct bearing on the probable
first offensive move OF an enemy in
1 the east.
The cost of the four Gibraltars il
as yet matter of guesswork. There
have been many hazards at the prob.
able amouat in each instance, but
none of them are authentic. The only
advantage that the following figures
possess over those that have gone
before is that they are more nearly
| up to date. They are:
Maximum. Minimum
/ Chesapeake entrance. .ss.0O0,OOO $4,000 900
! Panama, canal en-
frances -..s............. 100000 100000
Pearl Harpor.......... 100000 2,500,000
| Manila Bay. 10. COO 000 nna n0a