The Washington herald., 1914-01-25
work HARD FOR
A war FOOTING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

Of Loo rounds of ammunition per day
can be turned out through working
three shifts. This amount would be fired
in one day of battle by eight batteries
And yet by requiring that all smmuni-
ton for the army be manufactured in
national arsenals, Congress is discourag-
ing the private enterprises that we shall
need when the present situation finally
comes to a head.
1T wouldn't be SO bad IL the people
Of the country would only wake up and
appreciate the fact that a few dollars
expended now may save a great many
lives later. Nothing insures against
war more than preparedness, ami. con-
versely. nothing invites attack like un-
preparedness. To have ammunition and
field guns to equip a large army on a
war footing means a few millions of
dollars now. but II also means that IL the
time should come when We would need
these guns, the very presence of them
might obviate the necessity OF using
them.
"It does not mean that we must raise
such an army now. That can wait until
We need it, But while We can raise an
army in thirty days IL necessary, We
cannot equip IL even with ammunition in
six times that space. and not with guns
LUZ ccNtEA ycdTc. European sup
ply be made available.
May Have to Back Water.
THE people who are saying now cut
down. the military appropriations. don't
want my boy to go to war may be
asking later. why didn't my boy have
the proper tools to do his work when
he went to war;"
For obvious reasons the name of the
officer cannot be made public. but his
rank. his active military experience, and
OF ordnance conditions lend
more than usual weight to his state
ments.
The imperative necessity of making our
naval base at Pearl Harbor as nearly
impregnable as possible was emphasized
by Gen. Wood when he appeared before
the subcommittee on Notifications and
appropriations. Gen. Wood announced
At that time the policy adopted by the
department in transposing guns from en-
placements in this country to the
naval base as a means Of pre-
pairing from an attack by ANY enemy
10 the west of us"
At the same time Gen. Wood announced
that careful study Of conditions there
had emphasized a new necessity, of fur
ther protecting Pearl Harbor from a land
attack, the discovery having been made
that In all probability. even with the
garrison of 1000 men estimated for the
post in time OF war. 1t would be impos-
sible to prevent the landing of a hostile
,orce II that force should break through
ne line Of protecting battieships.
Gen. Woods Reasons.
Asked to give the reason for the strong
.ortincations at Pearl Harbor, Gen. Wood
replied:
The Importance of holding these is
ands securely fortified as a naval base
OF the greatest Importance in con-
idering the question of the defense of |
'ut own coast and the Panama Canal, /
,ecause any enemy to the west of us |
!esiring to attack either the Pacific |
>oast or the Panama Canal has got to |
cave these islands in his rear in order
do SO, and / doubt II any well-con-
idered hostile expedition would venture
assume such a risk, as II would ne
essitate the movement of troops and /
upplies OF all kinds through waters in /
'hich we would hold a strongly fortified
ase. giving adequate protection to our
hips and SO situated as to give an op-
ortunity to make sudden and unexpect-
attacks upon an enemy's line Of
Jeopardizing the trans.
ort OF men and supplies. L
1T would also mean that in case Of
ny disaster on our coast he would have
etween him and his own ports a strong i
defended rendezvous for our own
avy, from which he would be liable to
tack. In other words. the holding of
his strong place as a fortified naval
ase would necessitste. in all proba-
llity. operations looking to its reduc-
on and occupation prior to extensive II
perations against the American coast
: the Panama Canal region
Il think this very brief statement en-
odies the principal military reason