The Alaska daily empire., 1916-02-09
PREPARING FOR DEFENSE OF THE UNITED
 STATES
tcincinnati Enquirerl

The European War has brought out in bold relief the importance to country with coasts of having those coasts fortified by land deenses protected by fleets and readily accessible the armies that guard the nation.
 The Qualifications on the Turkish coasts have saved that country from invasion from the ocean. supplement- ed as they have been by active naval forces subma' rnes and desroyers and by large bodies of troops sup piled with an abundance of an classes of artillery.
 The Isonzo region and the section of the sea coast northwest of Trieste have held the Italians at bay for more than eight months while, notwithstanding the werecoguized superiority of the British navy over all others and the huge numbers Of vessels in the trans. port service of that government there has not been even
 threat of landing upon the Ge rnar coast nor an at tempt in any form attack German ports or German cities by sea- The reason is that the German coasts are well fortified the German railway lines are able to carry artillery and troops to assaed points, and no sue cess would attend any attack or attempted invasion by an enemy This war lesson taught by the present war is of infinite value to the people of the United States.
 It calls for ample Qualifications for coasts and for harbOrs.
 It calls for ways and means Of assembling rapidly and transferring speedily naval and military forces for the protection of points liable to assault or points a which landings might be affected by invading troops
 It calls for the interior waterway from Boston to the Rio Grande SO that our submarines and desroyers the ghtdraft craft of tho navy be safely and very quickly transferred from place to place where required
 It calls for coast defense railway system 80 eff ncent that an army corps be placed at any point needed within 25 hours after notice and by which score or hundred pieces of heavy artillery can be as- sembled within 2i hours drive off an enemys fleet or force Of invaders
 The means for speedy assembly and rapid transfer of troops and artillery by both land and water and sufficient force Of submarines and destroyers ready for action along our coasts absolutely essential for the countrys successful defense as against invasion Nature has done much furnish the Gulf and Atlantic coasts with an interior water way. and the Congress can give that waterway the most available point at @ comparatively slight cost
 The military authorities should push this canal work to speedy completion. and at the same time along eV- cry coast they should arrange the coast defense rail way systems for concentration of artillery and troops
 System system, and provision for every eontingen- cy in warfare have the factors in the de- fense of the German empires against their assaiants
 It was the delusion of believing they were prepared that has placed Allies in the precaous position they are in today.
 Great Britain for years rejected tho urgent ao'lce of Lord Roberts. Lord Kitchener and yscount Wooes ley as to the need of preparedness and convinced her self that the fleet all powerful and her army un- conquerable.
 Roberts. Kitchener and Wellesley were right and the niggardly Paramentaraps were wrong and all the world knows that today We hope the Congress of the United States wi see to that this country is fully prepared both upon land and upon sea- for such prepa edness is the very strongest guaranty of peace