The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-06
Hundreds of Miles Of Peninsula
Lands Might Be Held and
TILED indefinitely by
Hostile Hands.

The bill for the fortifcation of the
mouth OF TIE Chesapeake Bay, which
has been agltated for several years,
will in all probability be passed by
Congress az this session, and thus
the government will be able to guard
one Of the most important points
along the Atlantic Coast.
The building of fort on Cape
Henry, directly at the mouth OF the
Chesapeake Bay, will give protection
to an even more valuable section o.
the country tnan the huge Panama
Canal, which is also to be fortified.
While the canal will represent
cast outlay of money, and Will pc
immensely valuable to this nation In
the event of war with either Euro
pean or Asiatic country, the mouth
of the Chesapeake 'Bey once entered,
would give to the enemy easy access
TO not only the capital OF the nation,
but the cities of Baltimore and Phil
adeEphia, to say nothing of Annapolis
and the Naval Academy and the cit
les of Norfolk, Newport News and
the great shipyards and coal. piers
representirg millions of dollars in
Hampton Roads.
Although there is modern rorti-
fication at Fortress Monroe, and, to
a great extent, ships of a foreign
navy could be prevented from enter
ing the inner Hampton Roads were
they to steam in straight from sea.
yet should ships get pass Cape Henry
it would be possible for them to
steam up the Bay toward Baltimore
without getting within range of the
guns at Monroe.
Cape Henry, as will be shown, is
the key to the Chesapeake Bay. Un-
less it is fortified in the most thor
ough manner it will be vulnerable
and an open invitation to an invasion
that would be difficult to repel.
The possibility of the United States
being invaded must, of course, be
considered from two main stand
points. First, in connection with the
vulnerability Of our coast line de-
lenses, and secondly, as to the forces
sent against us.
=. At the outset it may be said that
no one power could effect wide
spread or permanent invasion, burt it
may be reasonably feared that one
of several large powers might gain
control of one or more Of our I'M
potant strategic positions and infl!ct
great punishment before this nation
could plsce itself in a condition to
drive out the enemy.
AS to vulnerability, we may scan
the situation from Maine to Texas,
and then from Texas on the Pacific
side to the northermost edge of our
country, and, though seeing several
points st which hostile power
might seek to gain foothold, no
part Of our entire coast line presents,
in the hands of the enemy, such an
opportunity for destruction of great
cities as does the Chesapeake Bay,
whose geographical natune is pecu-
liarly favorable to battling aggres-
siyeness and continued occupancy.
1t may confidently be said that the
power controlling that body Of water
Al also ecnr.cl, or rel:dcr absolute
ly useless to this nation, the entire
peninsula formed by the Chesapeake
Bay, Atlantic Ocean and Delaware
River, as we'll as many miles OF pen
Ursula land on the western side OF
the Bay
At no other part cf our coast line
could the transportation Of trocr's
and munitions Of war be so effectual-
ly hampered, while, conversely, no
other part of our coast involves the
preservation of so many strategic ad-
vantages and facilities for the speedy
transportation by land and water or
an army as would be afforded US by
the control of the Chesapeake, the
key to which is the entrance formed
by Cape Henry and Cape Charles,
whose natural advantages for resist