The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-30

the fleet had kept itself intact: that
instead of gong down in glorious dis
aster. 1t had worked out a scientific
problem coolly. The big navy. intact
to its smallest torpedo boat. was lying
fully potent under the strong d~efences
Of Limon Harbor.
The guns of the Notifications pro-
tected the ships. and the ships pro-
tected the f~ortifications. Three thou
sand naval officers and 60, 900 sailors
n marines. added to the land forces
in the d~efences, made a force of highly
trained. completely efficient men,
The d~efences were perfect. This
precious possession was one American
possession at least that could be held
to the last. Its guns were fully in
stalled. 1t had ammunition. Its range
finding systems and its systems of fire.
control were complete. Without the
navy IL too would have been sorely
weak in men and would have been
open, like Americas continental de-
fences, to attack from the land. But
with the naval forces it was BILE to
hold out:
The navy was ready to throw men
ashore &c meet any attempt at land
ings along the coast. The navy's tor
pedo boats and ~destroyers crept 10 sea
in the night and guarded all weak
places. The American ubmarineS
with a safe harbor for a base. worked
under ideal submarine conditions.
When the hostile navy. freed from the
task of protecting its army, at last APP
peared in force off the 1sthmus II
dared no institute anything like q
close blockade.
It dared not even venture in to
lombard. There were l6 inch guns at
Panama. 1t was an object lesson for
the United States. Exactly thus Mad
there been an army TO protect them
the Atlantic coast defences could nave
defed any attempt from the sea 10
force a harbor.
The enemy navy. overwhelming as
il 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
taken the latter by the simple method
of steaming in, for this naval station
was only an unfortified harbor.S
The news OF Panama's safety was
the first and only good news that had
been given to the country since the
declaration Of war. The relief that 1t
gave was so great that the people re-
ceiyed almost with equanimity the
news which followed-that word had
come from spies Of the arrival of more
transports in Boston harbor and Mar
ragansett Bay. bringing forces esti-
mated at figures varying from $4,000
to 100, 900 more men.
Soon after this landing had been ac-
complished cavalry and light artillery
moved %northward through Vermont.
They seized and occupied in force
Bellows Falls and the White River,
Wells River and St. J~ohnsbury juno.
tions Of the Vermont railroads.
This cut the last communication OF
New England with the United States.
1t gave the invader absolute command
of the St. J%ohnsbury and Lake Cham
plain Railroad, the Central Vermont,
the Maine Central, the Boston and
Maine and the Rutland branch rail-
roads. Maine. New Hampshire and
Vermont were in his power like the
rest Of New England. B~lockaded from
the sea and cut off from railroad con-
nection with the interior. they were
s~ubjugated even without the unfolding
Of forces that now began through
their area.
Here too the invaders, despite their
grown power, moved slowly. eau
tiously. They cut districts from each
other and occupied them one by n
systematically, making united action
by the population impossible even had
It been feasible. BY the simple method
of di%sorganizing all the accustomed
political and governmental affiliations
they turned to their purpose the ever
present lack of conference between
State governments and city govern
ments, township authorities and
county authorities. The machinery
fell apart, and the enemy dealt with
the bits as he chose.
The few big cities OF the three States
could offer no resistance. Within a
few days the conquest OF all New
l.. Office Of Naval Intelligence. July
!, 1914.
2. Practical completion OF battery
constructions and armament, pOiDer
y;ants, fire control, s~cdrchHght tnstaIIn-
ton and supply Of Gmmunifion, reported
Jv Chief Of Coast Artillery, September
10. 1914.
3. Congress has appropriated COM
paratipeIy Httle for the needs Of Guam
fduamO harbOr.