The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-02-08
Algiers Improve.
ment ASSOCia-
tiOn Sends
Plea To
Congress

AT the meeting of the AlgierS I'M
provemens Association last night a let
| ter, which will be sent TO the United
States congressman and senators. was
adopted. The organization appointed
committee composed of Peter S. Law
ton, Frank c. Duvic and DR.. c. V.
Kraft TO cooperate with other civic
organizations in shaping legislation to
be placed before the next Legislature
looking to the repeal of the act Great.
ing the Fire Prevention Bureau.
The letter sent to the congressman
and the senators follows:
The New Orleans Naval Station ques-
ton has now reached its critical stage,
as is fully evidenced by a series of
inspired articles appearing in the
Washington Post. several of which
have been received here. We would
especially call your attention to the
one OF January %, which is devoted
to the ,audation of the proposed Guam
tanamo base, to which, it says, Admiral
Mahan has given his fullest indorse-
ment as being, when fully equipped,
able to take care of the Panama Canal
and the Gulf of Mexico, more effec-
tually than could a hundred stations
and Notifications otherwise distri-
buted." 1t arraigns the Southern news
papers that are espousing the cause
of the New Orleans Station, because
of their claim that it is Indispensable
to proper defense of the Mississippi
Valley, as being selfish and unpatrio-
tic, and predicts that Congress will
likely heed the advice of the experts
instead of the newspapers.
The writer admits, however, that
Congress is not likely to act until an
exhaustive inquiry is conducted. cover
ing the whole subject matter.
We desire to say that when this
question comes up before the naval af-
fairs committee, it might be advisable
appear before said committee in order
| to determine the seriousness of the
military phase which many believe is
involved in the location of one of our
great naval bases at Guantanamo,
which would have to be defended from
the rear as well as from the front, and
to which fact Admiral Mahan may not
have given the consideration it de-
serves.
Mr.. Peter S. Lawton, of this place,
who lived at Santiago, near Gutnta-
namo, during the years that General
Wood was military governor of that
province, and who wrote an article on
this subject for General Estopinal when
the matter was expected to be debated
at the last session of the House. states
that General Wood knows more about
the topography of that section of Cuba,
its railroads and the accessibility of its
bays on the other coast (only eighty
miles across at that point than any
other officer in the American service.
and that he feels confident that if Gen.
eral Woods testimony coulo be had on
this point, it would disclose fatally
weak spot in this remarkable PROPOSE
ton.
You will recall that at the last ses-
sion of Congress President Taft re-
fused to accept this theory that the
Panama Canal could be defended from
Guantanamo, and forced these naval
experts of ours to admit that the
safest and best way to defend the canal
was from the canal itself, whereupon
Congress promptly responded with the
necessary appropriation for this fortifi-
cation. The distance from Guantanamo
I to the Panama Canal is 500 miles, while
the distance from Guantanamo to the
mouth of the Mississippi River is over
100 miles. The writer of the Posts
article knows all this, but he probably
knows also that it is the avowed pur-
pose of our present Navy Department
to block the Passes at the mouth Of