The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-27
MIL PROTECT
| BAY Of MANILA
r,ited States to Have One of
Worlds Greatest Fortresses
in the Philippines.
uORE POWERFUL THAN
HISTORIC GIBRALTAR
Judge Walter |. Smith Enthusi-
.stic Over FortificatiOn of
CorregidOr Island.

u,su1NGTON. Feb, 26,-That the
r.asd States on the island of Corregi'
=, a, the mouth Of Manila bay, will
~, What will become one of the great
F,..or;c fortresses OF the world, and the
~, nearly imprognable citadels now
!, existence on this earth, is the pre-
a,,;ou made by Representative Walter
Smith. Judge Smith is chairman of
4, subcommittee of the appropriations
nnir,ee in charge Of the fortified
,sr. hill Judge smith S statement is
rs,h,ns the most emphatic official one
=, made as 10 the character of the
;.,t;f;raiiops which the United States
!. hwlding on the island Of Corredigor.
. II 4 coufirmatory OF the reports which
t,ys .for some time circulated that Cor
,ss;dor when fortified as planned would
~ another Gibraltar in fact, fortress
spro powcrful than The historic fort
,,ss held by the British at the mouth
n ,bs Mediterranean. The fortified
4 inns or The island of Corregidor and
/, n ,be region OF the mouth of Manila
lz are RAPIDLY approaching compile
Non. The small islands lling close to
forrsgidor are being powerfully forti-
/ !led.
snanish WORKS Worthless.
Wien admiral Dewey entered the
lar OF Manila IN 1898 the Spaniards
h,d mg3e some pTctersc of fortIfying
I'D had attempted 30 mine the en-
,,snte OF the harbor. But their mines
vs,e worthless and the guns OF the
fcriiica,ons were most obsolete. But
FArn the Qualifications now being com
p..ed n the entrance oS Manila bay
are finished 10 hat;ieship fleet in the
sord viii venture To run past them.
!, wOad he suicidal 10 do so.
One of the important features Of thc
ratification Cf CorregidCT Is that the
islsli Will ha 50 well provided that III"
Ng1cs Of al sorts. i7cludlng ammuni-
tons and rations viii he capable ot
sildiur : long siege. Some day i!
n, United States gets iu'o WAT with
sress power. as Japan. II NAV hap
pa thal Correeidor viii have TO with
s;ird 2 siege aud that on the retention
~ Coyregidor Will depend the maintcn.
sncs Of our hold on the Philippine is
lsni. In that case it will be prepared
. 4: il.
Commands The Bay.
So strong are the Notifications a,
'he ertraUce that ii is improbable that
ans cnenly would try 10 enter The bay
ri'h fleet. What would he much
sore likely to happen would be the
lirdlre of a force of troops on the
est coast of Luzon island who would
srsh overland against Manila in tax
.lnr That city, If Corregidor could be
'rpIoached from behind. IT is intend
a. however. as the mainstav of the
United States in the far cast. and army
'iileers consider it viii be when com.
rlftsd one Of the world S greatest fort
fssses
Inc appropriations for The Hawaiian
hhrds are practically closed and IN
ne Philippines they have been nearly
all made.
Alaska has not been fortified and
70 provision is made for its fortlfi.
tslion.
!! great deal in the way Of fortifi-
esIlon remains to be done on The Pa.
uiic coast OF the United States before
ieal coast IS a { we'll protected As many
. Inc residents there think it should
y. % Much has been done, however, and
me arrangements for mining the har-
ecis OF the Pacific coast arc good. The
ssa -tnat the Philippines and Hawaii
l'se been fortified makes il easier TO
nler On the fortificalion Of the
lsnsms canal. provision for which is
e,ed IN the sundry civil bill.
rear barbor, Honolulu. will be one
The great strongholds of the United
ss,es In the Pacific ocean when the
rOk is completed.