Evening star., 1915-05-30

IMU actually was surrendered dlo
NJ the people of the middle and
q " far west become startled into a
real acute perception of the catastro-
pho that had fallen on the whole coun-
try.
Though they were fer! with patriot
ism and anger. and though they were
giving not only lavishly but eStrava
gant1y of their wealth and men. they
were free. unconauered and untouched.
They had seen no invader. With a
suddenly freshened realization of the
hugeness of the country. they had at
tanned the conviction that there was
little danger that any foe possibly
could reach them from the Atlantic.
They were willing to defend the east
with all that they had. They were
willing to toss to the air all their royal
plans for the splendid future that was
all but built. They were the real
America, and they were willing to ruin
themselves and die for America. But
the men of Chicago were a thousand
miles from an enemy. Three thousand
miles separated the men of the racine
from the armed enemies in New Eng
land.
business had continued. They continued
to work and barter and plan Inc loss
of the industries of New England had
made itself felt at once. but there
locking of all the Atlantic and gulf
ports. with the attendant calamitles.
could not wholly shatter their great
web of trade.
Their commerce could go and enter
through their own ports unimpeded, for
happily in this crisis there was no
danger threatening from across the
Pacific. They needed not to fear that
they would be taken in the back
Therefore. though the surrender of
Boston had shaken them, it had not
terrified them. The great inland coun-
try clung to the belief that the army
would do something. During the
enemy's slow movement through Con-
necticut in the advance toward New
York. the people of the west remained
inspired by that hope, as men in past
ages, stricken dumb by darkened
heaven and u smoking mountain. still
clung to the belief that kindly mira
Gle would interpose to save then
jlaces was trembling under their feet
That spiritual self-defense with which
men armor themselves against newt
able fates had not given way until the
administration announced the sur
render of the city of New York and its
two great forts, with the statement:
The President assumes full responsibility.
Aftsr q careful examination Of the situation In
09eson. he issued orders. as commandeT- in-chiet
the army in the field should Ofer no opposition
Then the west began to fear with
great fear that its Pacific coast was not
safe, after all. 1t thought, appalled,,
that an enemy SO formidable and sue
cessful, confronting opposition so futile,
might succeed in breaking the defenses
OF the Panama canal as easily as he
had broken the defenses of the At
lantic-
But the Panama canal was being held.
The United States feet. having failed
= prevent tho hostile landing on the
New England coast. had turned at once
10 defend the one vital spot that 1t
could protect even against superior
numbers That was the Caribbean en-
trance to the canal.
It raced there under forced draught-
1t surprised and destroyed an inferior
force of cruisers and battleships that
the enemy had stationed there for
blockade. Again it was mathematics
The foe. forced to assure himself
New England coast. had held all his
powerful ships north of the American
ieet. The weaker blockaders in the
south, facing guns of superior range,
ships Of superior speed and superior
volume of gun-fire. went down to de-
struction without even the satisfaction
Of biting hard as they died.
+
Now the country that had been sick
with humiliation because its navy
would not fight, thanked Heaven that
the feet had kept itself intact: that in
stead Of going down in glorious disas-
ter, 1t had worked out a scientific prob
lem coolly. The big navy. intact to its
smallest torpedo boat was lying fully
potent under the strong defenses of
Limon harbor.
The guns of the fortifcations pre-
tected the ships. and the ships protect
ed the fortifcationa Three thousand
naval officers and sixty thousand sail
0re and marines. added to the land
forces In the defenses. made force Of
highly trained. completely efficient
men,
The defenses were perfect. This pre-
cious possession was one American pos
session at least that could be held to
the last. Its guns were fully installed.
systems and its systems of fire control
were complete. Without the navy, it,,
too. would have been sorely weak in
men and would have been open, like
Americas continental defenses. to at
tack from the land But with the naval
forces, il was able to hold outE
The navy was ready to throw men
ashore to meet any attempt at landings
along the coast. The navy's torpedo
boats and destroyers crept to sea in the
night and guarded all weak places
The American submarines with a safe
harbor for d base. workded under ideal
submarine conditions. When the hos
lille navy. freed from the task of pro-
tecttn8 it's army, at last appeared in
force off the isthnus, II dared not in
stitute anything like close blockade.
1t dared not even venture in to bonn
bard. There were 16-inch guns at
Panama. II was an object lesson for
the United States. Exactly thus, had
there been an army to protect them the
Atlantic coast defenses could have de-
ned any attempt from the sea to force
q harbor.
was. could do nothing except to wait
and watch. II cruised up and down.
far out in the purple Caribbean Its
only trophies in the south were Porto
Rico and the United States naval sta
ton Of Guantanamo. in Cuba. 1t had
of steaminR in. for this naval sta
tion" was only an unfortif1ed harbor
Tho news OF Panamas safety was the
nrst and only good news that had been
given to the country since the declara-
tion Of war. The relief that 1t gave
was so great that the people received
almost with eQuanimity the news which
followed-that word had come from
spies of the arrival of more transports
In Boston harbor and Narragansett
bay. bringing forces estimated at fig
ures varying from $4,000 to 100000