El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-01

the face of the earth. That argument
lif such it be termed has defeated many
q naval appropriation IN congress. But
it does not seem very obvious how we
are going to whip Germany, if a col
hsion shall arrive, with half the number
of ships she possesses
It takes at least two years to build q
battleship. The war would be over in
three months.
As for the Panama canal, most naval
experts seem to be of the opinion that
it would be to US. strategieally speaking,
a source of weakness rather than OF
strength. We could retain possession Of
1t only so long as We were able to con
troll the approaches to it by sea. The
command of the sea once lost, we could
by no imaginable means prevent the
ditch from falling into the hands Of the
enemy. Though It's ocean entrances
were defended by veritable Gibraltars,
the latter could not interpOse any OBJ
staele IN the way of a few regiment OF
troops landed 20 miles away. up OF
down the coast, and marched along the
isthmus.
Does anybody imagine that the Ger
man military and naval authorities
have not got, at this verv minute, com
plete and carefully worked out plans
IN pigeon hole in instant readiness for
emergency use? If so, he does not know
much about modern methods of prepara-
tory warfare.
We could not hold command of the
sea approaches to the canal without con-
centrating our naval force in isthmian
waters. And how could We manage that
with our home seapOrts to defend
against a battle fleet twice as strong
a sour own?
Puzzlinc problem. is it not?
II the canal fell into the enemy's
hands it might be of valuable use to
them-unless, as a last resort, we blew
up the locks and disabled it.
Could Capture New York Easily.
Germany has developed a wonderful
military transport system. 1t has been
said land perhaps correctly that she
could at any time, at two weeks notice,
land 100000 armed men on Long Island
before We received any warning of the
plan, and capture New York With our
little army scattered all over the eoun-
try we could offer no resistance worth
mentioning.
She could then hold the metropolis
the wealthiest city in tie world. except
possibly LOndOn-to ransom. In the sub
treasury in Wall street are stored at all
times couple Of hundred millions of
dollars in gold, or some such sum. Some
Loot
thoughtful persons interested IN spec
ulating on this subject have wondered
how trouble between ourselves and Ger
many over the South American question
might begin.
Of course, it is mere guess. But the
particular part of South America which
Germany most cOvets Is Brazil-or at
All events, a portion of that country,
to start with. Brazil is a much bigger
place than most people imagine Its
area is 3,21S,991 square miles-greater
by 245,0O0 square miles than that of
the United States. In the mouth of its
largest river. the Amazon, is an island
the size of Denmark
The best-developed section of Brazil
at the present time is the state of Sac
Paulo It has 100000 German residents.
The latter are not Brazilians. in the
sense that German people in our own
country have become Americans; they
still regard themselves as belonging to
the fatherland
1t has been suggested that if these