Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-01-20
'sCARE' PLEASES
WAR DEPARTMENT.
oscers Are Glad Public Knows
,he Unprepared Condition
of the Army.
coueREss HAD BEEN WARNED
...,,...Ive Republicans May ASK
' u"obes to Be Presidential Cana'-
a,,e-pemoersts to Formulate
Plan for Scaling Tar'h
Down Gradually.
@. GEORGE CLINTON.

ev GEORGE CLINTON.
Observation-Disclosures OF congress
brave effort TO counterI9it
Da' s,sbment when they were con-
ssd with the report from Score
~ War Dickinson to the eHec'
~, this country is unprepared lof
VS. var shall come. 1t was not ex-
- that the facts which Mr.. DICK
- .eut to congress would be made
M "a, and II was the publicity gwen
W. which made the members coun-
- -, establishment, for the truth Is
w., congress has known for three
that in the opinion of the army
s.,s Of the country, II conflict
vs.rN come suddenly. the Japanese
...M take the Pacific coast, land an
NV m It and hold the section west
.,,he Rockies for a long time before
". United States could dislodge
rhsre is a story back of all this.
,rsr the Spanish war there was
,,noded in the war department what
!. Known as a war college. The navy
s.,,rtment has a similar organiza-
,aon II is the duty of the officers
connected with these colleges to study
,rohems of war in connection with
,be possibilities of conflict with all
,,her countries. One of the problems
had 10 do with a war with Japan and
q Aid not take long to set forth evil
dence that the Japanese would have
the hest of 1t because of this country's
l,ek OF war material ard Of proper
notifications In the right places.
The committees OF congress were
mid these facts privately and the
members understood 1t thoroughly.
but under the plea Of economy and
also under the feeling that war was
not 10 come. congress did not act. 1t
felt, however. that 1t must express
reat surprise when the facts in the
case recently were made public. in
order that the country might not be
lad to believe that the members had
been negligent of thei- duties as they
apply to the protection Of our coast
lines and our island possessions.
Spanish War Severe Lesson.
The war department has in keen
memory the troubles of Spanish war
days. Officers say that II this country
then had been on an equal war foot
Ing with other countries. hundreds OF
lives would have been saved and with
them millions of dollars. Our field
artillery went into Cuba with the old
hshioned black powder while the
Spanish batteries were equipped with
mokeless powder. When Captain
Capron's battery opened the battle In
mont of Santiago its position was a
once made known to the Spaniard'
By the smoke which enshrouded II
The Spanish batteries replied. but Al
there was no smoke from their gun
ths American forces could not locat,
TIE enemy and, while being fred upol
and their men killed. could not return
damage for damage.
Prior to the Spanish war the de
Nrtment had told congress tina
money was necessary to properl.
equip the army, and congress. econo
mically inclined as It always 10 ant
certain that there was to be no war
did not respond. Then when wa
came effort was made to place thu
blame where 1t in no sense belonged
Il IL probable that the war depart
ment is glad that the present condi
tons Of unpreparedness have beeI
made public so that II trouble doe
come the records can be pointed I,
and the officers can say IF We ha,
had the money to do what we knew
II was necessary to do. these live
would have been saved and this i'm
mense expenditure in large par
avoided"
Pro9ressIves Turn to Hughes.
The latest sharp political gossi
IN the capital has been to tn
snect that the Progressive Reput
means are thinking Of trying to ir
duce Associate Justice Charles Z
Hughes Of the Supreme Court to err
er the field as a presidential cand
oate In 1912. 1t is barely possibl
mat the Progressives who have thi
70 mind think that Justice Hughes
noueh without giving direct assen
mus early. might be induced to cor
uoer the proposition a little NOR
readily because it is said that he feel
some resentment because he was no
appointed to the position of chief jus
uce oil the Supreme Court by Pres
oent Taft. There seems to be a pal
ua belief in Washington that the Jus
uce was given to understand that b
was TO succeed Chief Justice Fuller.
There are several reasons advance