The Washington times., 1915-06-07
Unique Plan Proposed
To Guard US. Secrets
Borrowed in Way From Japan and Britain, Idea Is to
Establish Naval General Staff on Island Some
.. where on American Coast.
Bv JUDsON C. WELLIVER.

would be supremely important to keep
that point a secret. The only way to
do the trick would be to make Identical
arrangements at several points. and II
the public or the enemy learned about
them thero would be confusion as to
what was really going on.
suppose the big concentration were
to be at Provincetown. Mass, with the
1t would be impossible to move the
huge quantities of stores, munitions.
provisions. etc, to that point without
tho movement attracting attention.
Merely An Incident.
But II would be possible, at the same
time. to commend Identical concentra-
tions ofsprovisions at Provincetown, at
Norfolk. at New York, at some other
place on the coast; to buy and trans
port potatoes by the carload, oil by
the trainioad. and 30 on. or course.
when the fleet appeared at only one
point and took on It's supplies we would
have the provisions on our hands that
had been concentrated at the other
places: but that would be merely an
incident. They could be resold and the
Government would have to stand the
ioss.'
This project OF an isolated intelli-
gence and strategy basis is not 30 fan
tastic or unprecedented as might be
In the Russo-Japanese war the
Japanese fleets whereabouts was kept
q great mystery for manay months. II
was really held at the Elliott Islands.
from Port Arthur. Scouts and de.
stroyers were always on guard off
Port Arthur. ready to wireless an
nouncement of any activity among the
Russian vessels inside. 1t was possible
for Togo's feet to get from its base to
the scene Of any possible action be.
fore the Russians would have a chance
to escape; and when at length the
Russians did attempt the performance
they were caught, and driven back.
now, just where the British battleshiI
feet Is. A few days ago a most in.
| teresting account came from Holland
| OF how the feet is held in the Scapps
, rlSw, sound ,s almost almost entirely land
east Of Scotland. or the lee OF tn,
Island of Hoy lies the armada of tn,
British empire: forty dreadnaughts
| nearly as many cruisers and battle
ships; a hundred or more destroyers
docks in divisions of four. Great con
4 centrations of oil. coal and all kind
of supplies have been brought together
avery entrance to the Flow Ia guarded
ship commanders know the ma arking
| Of the open channels that have beel
left for exit of the vessels in case o
| alarm.
One Way To Come Out.
-Four hundred miles away to tn
south. in the narrow waters Of Helgo
land. the Ems and the Kiel canal. lie
the German battle feet. 1t seems
great distance to guard: but there
only one way for the Germans to com
out. and that Is the northern route, I
traverse which they must sail rigt
past the Orkney and Shetland Island
between these groups and the Norwa
coast. Before they could get past, tn
British feet would slip in behind then
cut OF their retreat. and have thel
precisely whore every British seado
wants them: on the high seas, with II
but either run or fight, with the vastl
superior fleet at their heels. The
might do some tremendous raiding alor
the British coast that is to be expecte
The real business Is to let them get ou
to coax them out. to give them evel
chance to get out-then to force the
taken That 10 the great clash +
which all England Is waiting.
Strategically, II Is explained. the Jap
nese at the Elliott Islands, the Britii
at the Orkneys. enjoyed advantag
that an American fleet cannot hope fo
} along our extended coast. with few l
satisfactory rendezvous of this kin
The problem for our navy would ha'
to be handled differently in many way
, but the scheme Of isolating the intel
, gence center Of the navy Is regafd
, as practicable, and very likely to ,
, acceptance Of one important part
the Japanese and the British plan,