El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-23

I troops there is possible as long as an
! enemy controls the sea.
Defending Hawaii.
3. Hawaii is an outpost of our Pa
! cific coast It is admirably located for
I the strategic naval control of the Pa
/ cific ocean Its harbor is essential for
! a first class base for our fleet As
: long as we hold it and our fleet is ef-
ficient and present, no Asiatic enemy
can sail against our Pacific coast To
hold il will require not only some
long range coast guns but also at least
division OF mobile troops, approx
mately 10000 cavalry, infantry and
field artillery, and auxiliary organi-
cations. as a minimum.
+ Panama is also an outpost In
fact there is no other one locality so
essential to our fleet as Panama. BY
means of the canal the efficiency Of
our fleet is more than doubled, ena-
bling that part in either ocean 70 be
reinforced from the other. provided
always We retain control Of the canal
This control viii be equally important
TO any naval power against whom we
may be engaged Again the estimate
is that at least a division should be
placed for its defence.
who Is the Enemy.
? Against whom or what should we
be prepared to defend?
Under (b), in the defence Of the
loving conditions may be presented
J. War with Great Britain.
power.
4 war with Mexico.
5. War with any combination of the
above.
L Great Britain is at present friend
" TO US and we TO her. Still such con-
diuons cannot be counted upon as IN
breakable. Great Britain has such a
powerful navy, with bases on or near
the American shore in both the Allan
h.F he
OF our fleet, should il venture battle
would seem to be certain. Great
Britain would then be free to ferry
her troops TO Canada We should be
Great Britain in the present war has
had many problems similar to our own
to solve. vet she has raised. equipped
and trained between LOCO 600 and
100000 men, Against such numbers
our present proposed provisions for
M tional defence seem ridicuiOusly in
adequate
Following Naval Battle.
and 3. In these cases naval bat
tie would be first undertaken. II our
enemy were successful, he would then
attempt 10 affect a landing at previ-
ously selected points Germany feels
confident that it can defeat our fleet.
Considering the efficiency Of the Sc
cret service systems OF both Germany
aud japan. il is probable that at the
signal for hOstilitisS the attempt would
be made 10 DESTROY such works as the
Panama canal locks, dry docks at i'm
portant points, etc. Germany is in 1
normal times capao Die of embarking in /
10 or y days upwards Of 10000 men 4
N ships OF German register alone /
With her thoroughness, she has proba- !
ply. also made a plan Of attack and Sc 4
.ected landing points Meantime the 4
lrst expedition would be followed by /
others and within six weeks to two
nontns she would have dispatched to-
wards our shores as many as 100000 I
men Japan. though probably not as
srflclent as Germany in these matters,
s. however, capable Of surprising per-
The Troops Necessary.
To meet the first expedition we
should have at least an equal number
II mobile troops Immediately available
This would then be eight divisions, or
lbout 10000 men Of all arms, and
nese should be regulars, not Including
roops for the protection Of coast forts.
4 In war with Mexico we win
'equire troops for protection of our
Iouthern frontier; troops for expedi-
ions and campaigns against Mexico
lily, Monterey. chihuahua and sonora
nd others for occupation and pacifi-
atlon OF country thus taken. As the
occupation viii necessitate few
ears for the accomplishment of its
purpose Of pacification and education.
/ total force variously estimated up
luired.
5. Any combination Of the above
possibilities only increases our 'neces-
Coast Forts.
IN 1888 board known as the Endi-
oft board and now as the board Of
romance and Qualifications. was ere !
.leu py congress, the purpose being
% consider the subject Of ADEQUATE
cast defence. The board recommend
q certain localities as deserving first