Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-02-27
FEAT COULD NOT De
REPEATED WITH PRESENT
FoRr,FIcArIoNs.
UNITED STATES NOW
STRONG ON PACIFIC
Fortifieations on corresidor island,
Now Nearing Com pIstion, Said to Be
Impreanabis-strons Fortresses Now
Ready to Defend Philippines and
:.
Hawaiian islands.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Feb. 27.-That the
United States, on the island of Cor
reridor, at the mouth of Manila bay,
will have what will become one Of the
great historic fortresses Of the world
and the most impregnable citadel
now in existence on this earth was
The prediction made in the house re-
Gently by Representative Walter l.
smith in discussing the Notifications
bill. Judge smith is chairman OF the
subcommittee of the appropriations
committee in charge of the fortihca-
tons bill.
Judge Smiths statement is perhaps
The most emphatic official one YET
made as to the character OF the 1ortl-
fications which the United states Is
building up on the island of Corresi-
dor. 1t is confrmatory OF the reports
which have for some time circulated
that Corregidor when fortified as plan
red would be another Gibraltar IN iact
a fortress more powerful than the
historic fortress held by England at
the mouth Of the Mediterranean
Can't Repeat Dewey's Feat.
The Notifications on the island Oh
C,orreeidor and in the region Of Cor
recidor at the mouth Of Manila bay are
RAPIDLY approaching completion Inc
small islands lying close to Cc.regldoF
are being powerfully fortified. "nel
Admiral Dewey entered the pay %
Manila in 1888 the Spaniards had mace
some pretense Of fortify!ng ana nAo
ATTEMPTED to mine the entrance VI ..i'
harbor. But their mines were worm
less and the guns Of the fortincatiolis
were mostly obsolete. The result was
that Dewey and his feet ran INTO t'ie
harbor at night in little danger !roi"
the enemy But when the fortihca''ons
now being rapidly completed q. .ne
entrance Of Manila bay are ni'sne ,,,
no battleship fleet In the woflo W..
venture to run past them. 1t would %
suicidal to do So
Can Withstand Long Siege.
ona ~ the important features OF the
'rort;ficat;on Of Corregidor is that the
,.,.nd will be 80 well provided with
supplies of all sorts. including ammu-
,,it;on and ra.ions, as to be capable OF
standing a long siege. Some DAY.
N. United states gets into war with
Great power, as Japan. 1t may happen
that Coregidor will have to witnstaho
a siege and that on the retention Oh
correeidor will depend the main'en-
ance OF our hold on the Philippines ~
that case. It will be prepared TOT IT, So
strong are the Notifications at the en-
trance to Manila bay that IL ID IN
nrohahIe any enemy would try 10 en-.
tor the hay with fleet. Wnae "ouiu
no much more likely to happen "ouio
10 tho landing of force OF troops on
tho east coast OF Luzon isiano VINO
would march overland against Manila
n successful in taking that CITY, eor-
rapidor could be approached from DC
hind 1t is intended, however. as the
mainstay of the United States In the
far east and army officers consider II
viii he when completed enc OF the
wor,d,s greatest fortresses. as Judge
smith pointed out to the house.
strono on the Pacific.
u x,s brought out in discussion OF
the Notifications bill that the United
s.ates ha. gone long way in the oil
rec,ion Of fortifying the strategic
no,nts Of the Pacific. The appropr1a-
,,ons for the Hawaiian Islands are
,r.c.ically closed and in the Philip-
,;,es thew have been nearly all MADE
A,a,l,a has not been fortified and no
,royision IS made for its fortihcation'
/ t,o nany believe something should De
aona IN that direction 1t was brought
ont IN the discussion in the house on
/ tho Notifications bill that neither the
rnd,cctt board nor the Tart poaru
made any provisions for the foftlflca-
ton of Alaska. despite the fact tnat IN
/ event OF war an enemy would De pretty
ant to swoop down on that valuable
possession. Mr.. Stafford called atten-
! tion In the house to the ample narDor
| for the fleet at Controller Bay.
| A great deal in way OF fortihcation
remain. to be done on the Pacific coast
of the United States before the coast
I. a. we'll protected az many OF the
residents there think It should be.
Much has been done. however. and the
ARRANGEMENTS for mining the harbors OF
the Pacific coast are good. The fact
that the Philippines and Hawaii have
heen fortified, as Judge Smith pointed
i out makes - easier to enter on the
fortification Of the Panama canal. pro-
vision for which IL carried in the sun
dry civil bill.
Pearl Aarbor Great Stronghold.
| Pearl Harbor, Honolulu. will be one
n the great strongholds Of the United
States IN the Pacific when the work IL
completed there. In the senate
On the fortifications bill a was
brought out that tho 1ortinica-
ltions there are complete 80 far
| as mounting the twelve-inch guns are
| concerned. The inarbor is not yet open