The herald., 1913-06-19
PAPER BY PETER S. LAYTON ON
NEW ORLEANS NAVAL
STATION

Admiral Edwards and Members of the
Board of Survey
Gentlemen:
We would respectfully submit the
following reasons as to why the Ma,
tional Government should open and
operate the New Orleans Naval Sta.
ton:
LIST. Because it is an essentially i'm
| portant part of the only possible
! scheme of defense which is available
for the adequate and permanent pro-
lection against possible destruction in
the event of war, of the extensive Gov
eminent works at the entrance to the
Mississippi river, which, if destroyed,
would not only entail an enormous loss
to the Nation, in the matter of the
Iactual money expended in the construc-
ton of these jetties, but in the para
lyzation of this rivers sea commerce
for years thereafter, which amount
could not be even remotely approx
mated
End. Because this station was built
for the express purpose of facilitating
this rivers defense, in the light of the
report of the Endicott Board whose ex-
haustive survey of our coast line, show
ed that through lack of foundations at
this rivers junction with the Gulf, this
was the only point out of twenty-seven
enumerated on the Atlantic and Pa
cific sides, which could not be defend.
ed by forts or land batteries of any
kind whatever, thereby combining such
defense to floating batteries which said
report recommended, and for the up
keep of which, in time of peace or re-
pair in time of war, q Government
plant of this character, at this place,
is obviously Indispensable.
3rd. Because the National Govern
ment in having recently ordered the
construction for duty at this rivers
mouth of the four submarines and their
tender, presently under contract and
costing some three million dollars. h;O
through such action recognized that
the time has now arrived when these
passes mentioned, the last and great
est of which has recently been COM
pleted, must henceforth be not only
preserved against possible destruction
by an enemy, but that this gateway of
the Mississippi Valley shall thereby be
kept open in war as we'll as in peace
In having thus assumed that the
floating fort is the only available
means of adequately and permanently
defending this exposed position out in
the Gulf of Mexico, to which these
several passes project, and which is
some forty miles from the present forts
located some seventy miles below this
city Enormously referred to in Off
clal documents as the forts at the
mouth of the Mississippi'O, the Nation
al Government, no doubt, found upon
that the evidence sub
mitted by us on this matter, to the
committee on Naval Affairs of the
House, on March 18th, 1912, was cor.
rect, which memoranda also gave the
following reasons as to why no other
protective agency except these floating
batteries actually located here, could |
be depended upon, for the purposes :
% That the enemys ships, being
he primary objective of the Navy. it |
could not be reasonably expected that
lnder all conditions, the fleet or any
part of it, would be assigned to the
protection of this or any other port
rom which the scene of action might
De far removed, but that even though
he ships of the Navy did defend this
POINT and were crippled in the con-
1ict, the services of such a local plant
would nevertheless be absolutely ne
,essary.
(2) That the mining of these sea
channels, if practicable, which might
POSSIBLY prevent an enemy's scout or
orpedo boat from passing through
hem and into the river, would not pre-
ent their destruction by an enterpris-
ng captain who might, in the absence
# the protection mentioned, elect to
bottle us up" indefinitely, as suggest
d.
CD That our experience during the
'panish-American war had taught us
hat in the event of hostilities, it would
e unsafe to depend on such harbor
efense vessels as might then be To-
ated at other ports being then sent
ere to provide the formidable defense
Thich would be necessary for our pur-