The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-12-31
COAST DEFENSE AND BATTLE.
SHIPS.

Inc fear that congress will con-
sumo much very valuable time in fu-
tile expressions of "views" of pre-
paredness, rather than in sober con-
sideration Of the problem of how to
prepare most wisely, grows upon us
as we think of the expressions of
Frank Mondell of Wyoming, who de-
clared last Friday that the country's
real need is not battleships, but coast
defense.
We have about 2,200 miles of coast
on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of
our nation, which are dotted about
with defenses designed to protect our
more important seaports, but such
harbor defenses, though they be un-
surpassed for ornaments, are not
planned for the protection of stretches
of coast which lie between these
points. Mr.. Mondell has not, per-
haps, figured on the cost of a con-
tihuous fortification covering all these
1900 miles in length. If we are to
set ourselfes to the task of prevent
ing the invasion of an enemy at every
possible landing place along our coasts
which would be both economical and
we should surely work out a plan
which would be bot heconomical and
effective. Even a man from Wyoming
ought to realize that battleships can
move about, while Notifications must
remain each in it's own place.
The New York Times figures it that
to rely upon Mr.. Mondells scheme
would necessitate the building of for
lfcations similar to those which al
reAdy protect our leading seaports, at
about t3n miles apart along the whole
NSof,, both of our coasts. This
wy aid >mean about 1900 Notifications
TOY be equipped and manned. "The
cost of our present defenses, includ-
ing those in our present defenses, in
GLIDING those in our oversee posses
sions, has been about SITS, 200, 900.
Brig. Gen. Weaver, chief of the coast
artillery, estimates in his annual re-
port that to man these works on this
continent 29,847 men of the regular
army and $40 officers, together with
1890 militiamen and I'll officers, are
needed. How many men would be
required to man Mr.. Mondell's 2,2OO
coast forts, how much would they
construct them?"
But, though we need not let Mr..
MondelPs extreme views of the i'm
portance of -oast defenses lead us to
short measuring our allowance in bat
tleships, it would be well to remem-
ber that there is certainly need of
greater number of defenses along the
more sparsely settled sections of the
country which open to the sea.
10 the common saying that we
need no such defenses on the Atlantic
coast south of Hatteras, and that tho
others we have are adequate for any
emergency they may have to meet,
The Times thinks that Gen. Weaver's
report makes a response that will
cause change of opinion.
The Times concludes it's considera
ton of this subject by saying that
the general opinion of the country
will be that we need all our coast de-
lenses and tina tthey should be kert
up. The need of larger navy and
& mobile army of effective strength is
imperative, but these can not be
safely obtained at the expense of the
coast artillery"
We RIO not think this goes far
enou%h. While we will undoubtetiy
ned bsttleships and larger mcbils
army, we will also need to dot in a
few more defenses on the coasts.
The one-idea man has his place in
the plan of Democracy, notwithstand-
ing the fact that he consumes time.
Mr.. Mondel will never succeed in see
ing both coasts of this country bcr-
dered with continuous line Of coast
jefenses, but he may su.c""I in
srrinkllng some extra fortii. 1tions
over our coas;s which will un lolots1-
ly be of val ie to our preparedness
program.-Savannah P"c3s.