Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-08
NEW YORK IS At
ENEMY 3 MERCY.
ASSERTS OFFICER
Army Man Writes in Infantry
Journal That Eastern Metrop-
oils Would Get First Blow.
U, S, SAFETY is SCOFFED
Article Declares That Foreign
Liners Could Land 10000
Troops in Few Days.

lIUUpS wv z" UdySi
1T Is a popular fallacy in our coun-
try that our distance from probable
enemies gives US security from at
tack Nothing could be more foolish
than this unthlnkng faith. India and
the TransvaaI were farther from
England and Tonquin was farther
from France than we are from Eu-
rope, but distance did not save those
places from invasion and conquest.
Distance alone will not grant us i'm
munity from European aggression"
The words are those Of Captain
Hugh y. Wise Third United States
Infantry. writing in The Infantry
Journal, the service magazine pub
lished by the officers of the infantry
arm Of the United States Army The
title Of the article is our Unprepar-
edneEs for War" and in his treatment
Of the question Captain Wise is both
frank and cautious, for II there 's
any nation on earth unprepared for
a great foreign war that nation, in
the unanimous opinion Of the officers
Of the regular army. IL the United
States. and among the first places Ju
feel the iron hand Of the conqueror
would be New York. In the opinion
OF Captain Wise
European lmbroglio Helps.
The fact that the complicated stat
us OF European politics renders Euro
peau countries exceedingly cautious
about embaTking on war is, in the
opinion of Captain Wise, most for
tuuate circumstance for this country
Vet. be adds. 90 depend for our ma
tional safety upon such an uncertain
thing as the status quo Of European
politics js too rhimerical TO be Sc
riouSly considered.
cot him Who lmagines that We can
whip the world adds Captain Wise,
Get us ask whether he has ever cold
~ compared our military conditions
and our dEhtnE power with those 81
possible enemies That we are vul-
nerable 10 foreign attack IL fact to-
well known 20 the great powers %
warrant our irving 60 deceive them.
Nov Third Naval Power.
Captain Wise then points out that
the United states. $50 short time
ago the second is now the third naval
power. and that the gap between the
American and he foreign fleets IL
gradually bIt surely widening. lie
then calls attention 20 the fact that
both Germany and England nave m
their transatlantic trade vessels ply
ing between American and their oNa
ports which could al "a single sailing
bring Co. our shores 100000 trained
tropus equipped So every detail. ana
10 oppose such armies we have in tine
United States 80. ZOO regular mobile
troops and "a little over 100000 ut thf
organized militia the latter being, ne
continues. "as Heterogeneous as the
States from which they hail and Wh'
vary In quality from those of few
States where they are fairly Wei
equipped to those of other states
where they are in @ chaotic military
condition
n would require at least six weeks
10 mobilize and concentrate our small
first line on the Atlantic ssahoara.
Captain Wise continues. adding tnat
"tniS is not a confidence inspiring
weapon with which 60 meet "A power
ful and wcll-trau,d adversary
New York in Peril.
The author than goes ON 60 show
what would d prau geo New YORK ana
Washington and tnn HfEe cities near
them I'M tna event .ut 8u invasion by
fret-glass foreign rowor
ttNp serious u.oR." me SAYS, could
Re struck a- haIuN tine Chesapeake
Bay. nor could T-ErH.N wing blow p"
dealt Pm NtN ENGLAND A blow In
the South might wHrtlfN ana sting
one u New England might pain or
stun but the knockout must MI us nn
our Middle Atlantic. and fi is there
that we must expect the punch.
After abiding 10 Washington and
the cities nj the Chesapeake whose
casv capture and rlgu possibilities u
contributions make them tempting