New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-10
THAT JAPANESE WAR BOOZE
Reply to the Alarmists-A Scarecrow
Pulled to Pieces.

From The Japan Times
Congressman William Z. Humphrey, OF
Seattle, Wash, recently attempted 10 alarm
the national capital by asserting that the
Pacific Coast is In danger or an invasion
by an army of 10000 Japanese. Mr.. Hum
phrey is "stand-pat" Congressman not
ovorzealous, 10 put IL mildly, In his fight
against such things as shipyard lobbles and
sAel trusts and such. However, progress
81 Ses ought to pay him the compliment OF
analyzing his statements occasionally in
order that Mr.. Humphreys feelings may
not be hurt by reason of neglect.
What would 1t mean 70 land an army OF
10000 men on Pacific shores? / am willing
TO admit that ] know no more about mill
tary and naval warfare than Congressman
Humphrey knows. but at the same time /
shall assert that any one or us knows
pull Mr. Humphreys scarecrow TO pieces
and show that IL is nothing more than an
old stick with some WORKOUT clothes on II,
set mp I'm tho political ccrnhed to scare
away the peace advocates and allow tho
military overenthusiasts To pick the golden
ears without let or hindrance.
To convey 10000 men across the Pacific
Ocean at an average Of 1000 men to the
transport would require 100 ships. To con-
vey coal and supplies and to serve as dis
patch boats approximately 80 additional
craft would be required. a fleet OF not less
than 30 battleshps would accompany such
r. fotilla. This would be total of 40 YES
sells.
\ passenger steamer at the present time
Journeys from Yokohama to Seattle or San
Francisco or Portland in twenty DAYS
This imaginary Japanese armada OF lD
ships could travel no faster than the slow
est OF the fleet. There would be numberiess
delays en- route because OF breakdowns I'm
engine rooms, and the stoppage OF one
would mean the stoppagc of all 1t would
be q nautical feat to bring those $50 ships
across the Pacific in less than sixty days.
TO gather an army of 10000 men iii for
invading the shores of a foreign country
arm them. equip them and train them
would consume say. six months.
80 that eight months -twc-thirds of q
year-would elapse from the time Japan
began active preparation for the invasion
and the time when the invasion actually
took place. What would happen?
Visualize for yourself this monstrous fleet
crossing the Pacific. approximately $50 ships
guarded by 80 men-of-war. and even a land
lubner may correctly picture the enormous
warships OF the United States, II these
ships travelled in column and each were
allowed luz feet OF sea room. they would
make line thirty-four miles long II tbav
sailed in double column order the column
would be seventeen miles long Imagine
then. Meet Of American battleships loom,
ing up out or the night and hurting itself
against the Japanese front at anv poirt,
II the Japanese transports and auxiliary
shirs were TO travel I'm mass in cylinJricaI
form then the thirty battieships must Inc
distributed In an attenuated line all the
way around 1t. rendering Il pregnable ~
any point to an attack by our fleet with
tho possibility OF awful loss of life bv tho
japanese through the sinking of the trans.
ports. Wv ""'''
In TACT; II probably will not be questioned
BY sensible folk when I assert that no.ar
again In the history OF the human rae. w,,,
an army OF 100000 men go over seas from
any country TO attack any other countrv
,,,ich mas even the nucleus of navy
Inc most brilliant Illustration OF what mod
ern INVASION means Is afforded by the his
LOT. n.,y or Engiand's war In the Transvaal
The Beers had not even a steam iannch '
anu anu yst England suffered practically the
continuance OF the effort to conS,sr III III
Beers And when In the place OF England ND
f Rnars write va 'aran and IN the place OF the
l,uu,ra;y, ou , wife $4,000 Americans the
dnrough the thin veneer OF alleged snce.i,uu
ana expose the absurditv Of The c Iiioer'. Z,
s nhrnv war ar Wiarhlsts rs Congressman HIM.