Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-11-21

Cape Henry at the entrance TO Ches-
apeake bay to be esed for terrifying
purposes. Real estate men attempted
10 hold the government up and so the
project was abandoned.
Chesapeake Bay FortIficatIons,
In place OF the projected fort at
Cape Henry the government will con-
struct an artificial island at the mouth
OF Chesapeake bay and on it fortifica-
ton viii be constructed to be manned
by coast artillerymen who will have
for service in case of war the biggest
guns known to these days of big ord
nance. In the year 1914 the British
came up the Chesapeake and event
ually reached Washington, burning the
Capitol and the White House. If an
enemy should have the same opportu-
nifty again the chanceg are few that it
would commit such scls of vandalism.
but presumably these cities must be
protected from attack and occupation,
and so in these days of peace the Dem
ocrats are consenting to equal, il not
to Guido, their predecessor Republic
ans In preparing for emergencies.
There are forts on the Potomac
river and on the Chesapeake below
Baltimore. These presumably are
powerful enough to make it difficult
for an enemy to pass, but it is held
that ships Of the foe should be pre-
vented from forcing an entrance to
Chesapeake bay Fortress Monroe and
Fort Wool are not considered Of suffi-
cient strength to keep out the steel
dreadnoughts of an enemy on mischief
bent.
Pacific Coast Defenses.
Congress has appropriated money
for terrifying the approaches to San
Pedro in southern California. This
work viii be pushed rapidly to compile
ton. Puget sound, San Francisco and
San Pedro will be the three great de-
lenses against attack on our western
coast from the far east. 1t is the sight
OF the shadow of Japan-the admins.
tration hope probably is that 1t is a
shadow only-which has spurred con-
gress to appropriation activities In
connection with the Pacific defenses.
Representative Bartholdt of st.
Louis. who is the prophet of peace in
the house of representatives, recently
returned from abroad with assurances
that the dove is winging It's way in
swift flight to the coop of everlast.
ing concord" In Washington one
hears peace all the time, and while he
is hearing he sees the preparations for
war If the day of lasting good will
among nations ever shall come, the
junk dealers will have plenty of ma
terial to be bought for a song in the
forts outlying every American city
which lies within striking distance of
the coast line.
Cost Of Living and Tariff
BY force of the new tariff law is
the cost of living to be reduced?
Some of the Democrats in Washing
ton apparently desire that the country
shall believe quickly and fully that
the Underwood-Simmons bill cannot
be expected to bring down the price
of things until 1t has been In opera
ton for at least ten months or year.
The Democrats. while they do not
seemingly believe that the tariff alone
will make a great difference in the
cost of necessaries, are hopeful that
other bills which they intend to enact
into law. coupled with the tariff, will
bring material relief to the consumers
of the country. 1t must be left OF
course to time to prove whether the
Democrats are right or not President
Wilson seemingly is convinced that In
a year things will not cost as much
as they do now.
Leaders Of the three parties togeth-
er claim, or admit, whichever way
you choose to put 1t, that the political
organization which can present the
best plan to bring down the high cost
of living will be the one to get control
of the house of representatives next
year and of the presidency two years
later. The Democrats are In power
and If they have a plan to make Nv
ing cheaper they can put it into effect
If they want to. In the early days
the party made definite promises that
the tariff would turn the cost cutting
trick. but now there is a little hedg-
ing on this proposition and the prom.
ise is that when the antitrust laws
are in force next year prices will
drop 30 that the consumer can hear
them.
Opponents Are Satiricai.
Some of the opposition party mem
bers in Washington are asking the
Democrats why, IL their antitrust leg
islation is to accomplish such high
deeds of service to the people, it is
necessary for various official bodies
to be studying other means of reduc-
ing the cost of living. The agricul-
tural department today is trying to
solve the problem and men have been
sent abroad TO study agriculture and
methods over there with
the hope that the result of their stu