The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-03
CHAPTER III.
Attacked BY the Ensmy's Flsss

TAT EVER, even in after years, was
IN it determined whence the
| news OF the enemy ships came
first. Almost as easily might
a land invaded by 1ocusts have de-
cided what eye first saw the coming
cloud, or at what precise spot
"Warship on horizon. Standing in.
| Slowly" 1t came from the keeper Of
Peaked Hill Bar life saving station at
the far end. of Cape Gods sweeping
sand arm. From the crest of the Nave
sink highlands, standing steep out Of
the Atlantic at New York's harbor en-
trance, men saw ships
| From his lantern 1853 feet high the
lighthouse keeper Of Barnegat on the
New Jersey coast, forty miles south of
the Navesink, saw tops above his hori-
zon. "Ships standing off here" came
| the word from Cape Ann, north Of Bos-
ton. Philadelphia heard from Absecon
light and cried to Washington that the
enemy was preparing to land on its
coast Boston cried to Washington for
ships and men. New York telegraphed
and telegraphed again and sent dele
cations on special train.
This coming invasion was unpro-
voked. The administration needed no
| party behind it now; for it knew that
this was to be fight for life. and that
only the sword could decide. And it
had given the sword to the army and
navy without conditions.
at is the least we can do" the pres
ident had said. "Long ago they warn
ed the nation. The nation would not
| give them the tools they needed. Now
that there is nothing left except to do
their best, they shall be left to do it in
| their own way"
''The enemy feet" said an official
bulletin, has expanded its line enor-
mously to threaten many far sepa-
rated points simultaneously and thus
mask its actual design for landing
Our ships and air scouts and the army
air scouts are trying to penetrate the
screen Of cruisers, destroyers and en-
envy air craft to find the real feet with
the conveys"
But is this not a chance for the
navy to attack the scattered enemy
ShipSg' asked one.
Opportunities may occur answered
the admiral. ''but the business OF our
feet is to keep itself in battle forma-
ton" IA tactical necessity for an out
numbered feetl
The seacoast cities read the bulletin
and held their breath. Through their
streets Numbered their trafic as in
come in east of Coney Island, just out
side Of the zone of fire from Sandy
Hook, reported Fort Hamilton, and
dropped shells into Brooklyn suburbs.
Now the crowds were silent no long
err. They storned their city halls, roar
ing for soldiers. They tried to rush
their armories, demanding weapons
To Washington flashed the dreaded
news of mobs. Troops must be sent
at once" said the cities.
The OLD chief OF staff, with 1.-The bit
in his teeth" dropped the dispatches
on the floor. Let 'em handle their
own mobs," said he.
Handle your own mobs," he said
again to the boss from New York, who
appeared with a flaming face. 1--WE
| nave SH NPA bOSClACA Lie SSQA ludL JOu
and your kind gave US in these past
years. Up there''-he pointed north
"in Connecticut our officers have been
fighting to make an army of it-of bat
talions that have no regiments, of di.
visions that are not divisions, Of rifle
| men who never learned to shoot and of
cavalry that never learned to maneu-
yer. But even If all that mess were
not mess-if all these young men
were fit to fight in the battle line this
moment-there are not enough Of them
to guard even the water supply Of
New York and Boston" This state
ment is based on official calculations. /
Then you won't put any men into
the city?"
'To defend city from within is an
act of desperation, no matter how big
ones army Isl said the general 'The
, place to defend city is as far away
from it as you can meet the enemy"
"But the newspapers say that you
haven't men enough to stop him.
Not if he comes in the force we ex-
, pect-and he win be sure to come SO.
And remember-the cities are not the
& United States. Our business is to keep
, the army in the field for the Union, not
for New York or Boston or even Wash
ington. There is a price to be paid
and perhaps the cities must pay it"
. There, in Connecticut. lay the army,
looking formidable enough. It would
have seemed a very harmonious. solid
. " welded whole. that army, to any lay
, man who could have had a birdseye
{ view of its businesslike assembly, its
great parks Of artillery, its full corrals
of mounts. its endless rows Of tents
and equfpage and its enormous trains
of transport vehicles and ambulances
But at one end Of that great, orderly
formidable camp were hordes OF or
gained militia firing at targets. With
the enemy on the coast, these meI
were still being broken in to shoot-not
1 - "