The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-20
$4,000 MEN NEEDED
TO GUARD HAWAII
Gen. Murray Discusses Stu
alton in the Pacific.
OPINION OF ADMIRAL DEWEY
Hero of Manila Bay Believes Large
Body of Troops Would Be Needed
to Defend Island POssessions-Of-
fcers Arc Careful Not to Refer
to Japan by Name.

TT would require 1900 troops to prop
erly safeguard the Hawaiian Islands"
This statement was made last night by
Gen. Arthur Murray, chief of the Coast
Artillery, who has charge of the defenses
of Hawaii. and who has been on the
ground making personal observations.
Gen. Murray, it is strictly understood,
does not make any of his statements with
reference to the reported designs of
Japan against the insular possessions Of
the United States.
1t was ascertained last night on I'M
questioned authority that even the for
midable guns which are now in Hawaii
are not sufficient provision against a
sudden attack, and definite plan is be-
ing carried out to prevent the success of
such an attack.
1t was pointed out not many days ago
the the War Department was alive to
the danger of an attack on Honolulu and
Pearl Harbor territory from the north
side
In order to meet this patent weakness
the government asked the photographic
Office to report on places on the north
coast where dn attack would be i'm
ships.
TIE War Department row has this re-
COrt and proposes to act upon it at
once. At every piece where such an at
tack is possible. it has been arranged
to PLACE a sufficient number of mortars,
and these mortarS are now in store at
honolulu and Pearl HarbOr.
Will Mount Mortnrs.
department officials are annoyed by
the publicity which has been given to
the plan TO meet a japanese attack on
the north coast. while it is certain that
the plan would b" effective except against
IN oVerwhelminl for e launched by
Janan. 1t is understood that the same
policy of extraordinary emergency coast
defense is in progress for the Philip
pines. Mai. Gen. Wood. for political
r, sons, declines to discuss the state of
defenses in the Philippines. but he has
stated under his signature that the land
forces in the Philippines are totally in
adequate to defend them against any
nrEt-ClaSS power.
1t is well known that Admiral Dewey's
idea was to fOrtify and hold Subig Bay
as the key to the Philippines situation.
When his reports on that subject were
attacked and the experts maintained that
IN addition to Admiral DeWeYS plan II
would require 100000 land forces TO hold
Subig Bay from attack in the rear, he
authorized the statement:
''If it would require 10000 men to pro-
teCt Subg Bay from such an attack il
would require 200.O1O men to defend the
Philippines from similar attack
Fleet Needed in Pacific.
These statements from the highest Off
cial source, including Gen. Woods known
opinions and his constant appeal for
more men," show the seeming hopeless
ness OF defending the Philippines without
the immediate transfer of the American
battleship fleet to the Pacific from the
Atlantic. where they are not needed.
Rear Admiral Wainwright. who has
charge of the operations of the navy. is
confident that the six armOred cruisers
on the coast would be sufficient to make
impossible an attempt to send an army
across the Pacific in transports. He
says. however. that in case of a move
ment against the Pacific Coast by bat
tie ship fleet il would be necessary to
have the present force on the Pacific re-
enforced.
One of the psychological purposes Of
the present acute situation at the War.
State and Navy departments is that
while there is danger from no other ma
ton to the United States than Japan.
the Navy. State. and War officials fight
shy of using the name OF Japan, even
when they are preparing against Japan.
Nothing could be palmer than the