Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-02-05
MORE COAST Forts
THEY WILL BE AT SAN PEDRO ON
PACIFIC AND CAPE HENRY
ON ATLANTIC.
RESULT OF STRATEGY GAME
Army and Navy Officers Several
Years Ago Proved We Could Not
Prevent Japanese invasion--con-
gress Now Waking Up.
sy GEORGE CLINTON.

1E0nGE GGtN On
Washington.-Congress has awak-
ened to what it thinks is the Eeces-
sity of additional Notifications on the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts The ap-
preparations committee Of the house
has recommended that there be in
Guided in the Notifications bill the
sum OF $4,000 to start the work of
providing great batteries OF 14-inch
guns at San Pedro, which is the har-
Dor of Los Angeles. and it has recon-
mended also that $3.50 900 be appro-
priated to secure land at Cape Henry
at the entrance to Chesapeake bay,
where another great fertilization will
be erected in the near future.
There is history connected with
the efforts to secure the emplacement
Of heavy guns at these two harbor
entrances and in it's way 1t has In
terest. Touching the western coast
in the vicinity of Los Angeles, it
may be remembered that just prior
to the close of the Roosevelt admin
istration it was feared that this coun-
Japan. At that time army and navy
officers were not altogether satisfied
that the country was in condition to
sustain conflict with the eastern
power.
The arE;y officers connected with
the war college in Washington and
naval officers connected with the one
at Newport worked out jointly prob
lem in warfare. 1t was game" in
way which was played. On one
side of the table was Japan and on
the other as its opponent was the
United States. and the moves were
made by experts at the game of war.
Japan won.
What the War Game Disclosed.
Laymen thought that the findings of
the men of the militant services could
not be considered seriously, but later
1t became known that the problem as
it was worked to its conclusion was
accepted by military authorities ev-
erywhere, as having been sanely
solved with the conditions of the game
as they were. AS the result of that
strategy study congress has just ap-
propriated S250,000 to begin the work
of fortifying the approach to the coast
OF southern California at San Pedro.
1t was found by the strategists that
with our fleet as 1t was at that time,
Japan could land sufficient force
of men on the coast near Los An
geles. hold the country upon which
an immense army could subsist, com
mand the three mountain pass ap-
proaches from the east and keep at
bay for long time as great an Amer
lean force as could be assembled to
attempt to force the mountain passes
is fortified, and SO is San Francisco.
Congress now intends to complete the
shain OF Notifications by adding the
defensive link at San Pedro.
Fortress Monroe, Virginia, has had
in It's sole keeping for years, the safe
ty of several American cities. 1t is
the outpost defense of Washington
and Baltimore, and with Fort Wool.
which is low lying mid-channel bat
terry. 1t stands as an aggressive SEN
tinel, keeping watch over Washington
and Richmond.
Southeast across the ningling wa
tiers Of the bay and the ocean lies
Cape Henry, the rough coast of which
is visible on clear days to the gunners
on Monroes parapet. but no projec-
tile which their great steel monsters
can hurl Is ever likely to prove effec-
tive against battleships stealing in
around Cape Henry under the cover
of fog or darkness to make the run
up Cape Charles into the waters of
the Chesapeake.
Congress has committed itself to
the entering wedge appropriation for
a government forti1cation mounting
14-inch guns to be constructed on
Cape Henry. When this is completed
it is probable that Richmond and Nor
folk. Washington and Baltimore, can
sleep in confidence that no foe can
come by water to their troubling.
P:-ns for Suffragist Parade.
Washington has two big pa
one striving for the success Of the
pageant in honor of the Inauguration
OF Woodrow Wilson and the other
working hard and willingly 10 make
superior to the parade of mere man"
the suffragist' pageant which will be
held on March on the stretch of the
great avenue between the capitol and
the treasury building.
A request from suffrage leaders ask
ing congress to pass constitutional
amendment letting down the bars
against woman's voting is to be pre-
pared in connection with the giant al
legorical procession and pageant to
be held the day before the Inaugural
ton of President-elect Wilson. At
least 5000 men and women from all
parts of the country, and particularly
from the ten suffrage states, are to
take part In the procession and in the
mass meeting to follow.
The suffragists understand thor
oughly the worth OF publicity and ap-