The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-03-30
CABLE FOUND FROM
JAPAN TO GUAM
g Find Said to Be the Real Rea-
son for War Scare Would
Be Able to Talk to the
japanese War
I Office.

BALTIMORE. MD, Special-The
Sun prints the following special from
Washington
Students of the Acknowledgements
situation are commenting that il was
an interesting coincidence that Presi-
dent Taft should have sent Tor Baron
OChida, the Japanese ambassador, for
a peace talk" almost simultaneO..
with the announcement made at -.
Francisco of the discovery that japan,
had control Of a cable from Guam 10
Yokohama.
This report, which was said to have
been made by John Buckley. deck en-
gineer on the army transport Crook,
was generally ridiculed in official cir
cles as too silly and prepOsterous for
serious consideration Today, how
ever, u develops that what Buckley
disclosed was absolutely true, and that
the facts were supposed 10 have been
known in Washington only by Presi-
dent Taft and Secretary of War
Dickinson.
Kept Secret by Taft.
IL is stated on the authority Of a
high Government official that the re-
port of this discovery was made to
Secretary Dickinson personally by the
captain OF the ship which made the
discovery while the secretary was in
the Philippines. The cable, however,
had been laid to the Island of Guam
and not TO the Philippine Islands, as
reported from San Francisco.
Last fall it was found that the Pa
cific cable was defective, and the
cable ship was sent out to investigate
AT Guam loose end of a strange
cable was found wrapped around the
regular cable. The officials of the
repair party were perpieXed by the
discovery and were astounded when
they began efforts at communication
they could talk directly into the Japa-
neSe War Office
IL was thought that the discovery
was known by Japan, so close watch
was put over the end at Guam. which
has since been maintained. the idea
pelhB 10 seize the cable in case Of
necessity. So far as can be learned
TINS has not yet been done.
interesting developments may now
De expected between the United
states and Japan, since the discovery
mas become known. IL is not con-
celVed how Japan will be able to ex-
pam the existence of a cable from
okohama direct to the shadow of
the American flag on the island of
Guam.
The discovery of this cable indi-
Gates clearly to the army authorities |
mat Japan has no intention of vast /
q any time of powder with the
hihppine Islands in case of war with i
he United States.
1t can be said that it was on this
principle that the joint Army and
Navy Board two years ago decided to I
create the main Pacific naval and I
nllftary base at Pearl Harbor, near |
Honolulu.
Defense Inadequate.
while the army is building up its
-ortincations in the Philippines it is i
only completing what had already
1eeh commenced, and there is now 1
40 plan for any further Notifications
ltter those under way are completed.
without battleship fleet or an army
u tewer than $4,000 men in the Phil
pplnes, IL is realized that the islands
'ouio not be successfully defended
against formidable attack
. As neither a battleship fleet nor
ig army is possible, it was decided
make the main stand at Honolulu.
that she would have little
opposition in the Philippines, japan.
ccording to the calculations of the
rmy general staff, would steam di-
ectly TO Guam, pick up the cable
here and hold il for communication
nth the japanese fleet operating
galnst the Hawaiian Islands
Might Take Honolulu.
Under the present conditions Japan
you'd have only a nights work to
axe Honolulu, and could hold II
gainst the combined forces now in
he Pacific. In case of a war with
ne United States she would need the
earest possible base, and that would
e Hawaii.
That, it was said by officials last
lBht, is the real reason for the "xyar
care" in the army, which is exerting
very possible energy to increase the
arrlsons in the Hawaiian Islands and
build up a formidable Joint army
no navy base at the very earliest
ossible moment.