The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-06-03
Replies to Critic Who
Says No Defense Is
Provided.


Garrison, in a prepared statement dis
cussed the preparedness of seaboard
cities to defend themselves against land
attack. Mr.. Garrison emphasized at the
outset of his statement that he had is
sued it because '.of a recently pub
iished article respecting the land side
defenses of our coast Here is the
statement: qftHii
Ny attention has been directed to a
recent article respecting the land side
defense of our coast defenses.
II is perfectly true that many of our
seahOard defenses would find serious
difficulty in defending themselves by
their own garrisons against a land at
tack by a numerous force, and it is
also true that they have been con
structed in many instances without any
reference to an attack coming from
the land side, dbut, as was natural, in
views of their purpose, almost wholly
with view to giving protection to
the cities and harbors behind them
against an attack by hostile fleet
Principal Function.
This beng their principal function,
pretty much everything else was subor-
dinated to this end, and in many cases
fortiiications were so placed in the eff
fort to secure the best field of fire
over the sea front and channels as to
render their defense from land attack
extremely difficult. 1t can be said Of
many OF them, in fact, most of them
Except those which are on islands)
that their defense in case of any Sc
rious attack from the land side, must
rest upon bodies of mobile troops as.
signed to this duty. Such mobile troops
would probably be drawn to great
extent from the militia. The coast ar
tillery troops, which are available for
a certain amount of work as infantry,
are primarily trained for service with
the big guns and cannot well be as.
signed to this work without ieopardiz-
ing the efficiency of the work for which
they are maintained so that, as stated
above, in case of attack on land it will
he necessary to mobilize considerable
troops for their defense.
The common type of fortress con
struction in old days was in circular
form, capable of defense against land
attack by its own garrison, but with
the advent of modern guns and the
construction of works involving great
OUTLAWS of money, insufficient attention
was given to the problem of their de.
Tense from land attack, and as re.
suit many are so situated and con.
structed as to be liable to successful
attack by even moderate forces land
ing from ships.
Land Defense Works.
| With view to correcting this, lines
of land defense works have been laid
out and necessary instructions prepared
for their prompt construction in time
of threatened war. In future much
more attention will be made in group
ing divisions of works reasonably Sc
cure against land ATTACKS, even when
defended by troops other than its own
| garrison. Certainly the construction
should be of such type as to enable
defense sufficiently long to permit ar
rival of coast guard troops.
But, after all, this whole question
brings up very forcibly the folly of de
pending upon fortresses alone. Their
usefulness is very much restricted un
less there is an adequate mobile army
The real purpose of seacoast defenser
is to prevent hostile fleets from BON
harding cities behind them, occupying
the harbors whose entrance they ar,
designed to close, or bombarding fleets
taking refuge in these harbors. Theil
guns are Of heavy type, necessarily
too heavy in most instances for work
against troops. Their function is t.
fight armored ships. Their tanks arC
rears must be protected by mobile
troops as must the cities which lie be
hind them in ease the enemy decide,
to land at poilu ontside of the range
of the guns and make his attack upOr
the city from a point overland. II
would not be practicable with the pres
ent mounting to turn great guns con
structed for this purpose against bodies
of troops operating in tie vicinity OF
cities. This is work which only ear
be done by the mobile army.
In short, all systems of coast defense
which look to security through forti
fications alone, are destined for little
use in ease of real war. The fortified
tions are only a part of the defense
and while they are entirely adequate
for the purpose for which they wer,
CONSTRUCTED, they are fixed defenses, eff
fective only in the area of the range
of their guns; beyond this range al
enemy is entirely free to operate unles.
he is opposed by mobile troops.
1t was to demonstrate the fact that
the great mass of Notifications defend
ing Boston was helpless to prevent TIL,
| capture of that city by land attacl