The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-02-17
MANY TROOPS
ARE NARROWED
N THE PACIFIC
In Event of Attack They Would
Be Entirely Cut Off from
the Mainland.

WASHINGTON, Feb. Ills the war
department treating the rest Of the
country with consideration when
quarter Of it's entire force OF trained
soldiers Is marooned on little island
in the Pacific ocean, 2,2O0 miles from
San Francisco?, Would these men be
available or Of any use in case Of
actual war? These two questions are
continually being asked by army Off
GERS and there is wide difference Of
opinion on the subject.
While the general staff is firmly
welded to the keeping Of large
force OF troops on Oahu, Hawaiian
Islands, many army officers feel that
it is a serious mistake, on account Of
the conditions which exist there,
which would. with our comparatively
weak naval force in the Pacific, per-
NIT these men to be cut off COM
pletely from the mainland and also
from all supplies, both munitions of
war and food, should they be attacked
by a first class power. Some go so
far as to say that the capture of this
island Of Oahu, on which Honolulu
and the Pearl harbor naval station
are located, would be but a matter
o IA couple Of weeks in case Of such
attack, and that this would at sim
gle blow, deprive the United States Of |
one-fourth Of her trained fighting
men.
OF course, 1t is recognized that
Hawaii is considered in both army
and navy circles as the outpost guard
of the United States against agrees
sion from the orient. While Euro
pean power might attack Oahu, its
first energies would be directed to-
ward the Atlantic coast, where practi-
cally all the munition works OF this
country are located and all Of them i
within striking distance Of an ex-
peditionary force that could be landed
in hundreds of smaller harbors, pro-
vided that it was accompanied by a
strong enough naval force.
The army officers who are opposed
to the large force at present main
tanned in Hawaii call attention to the
fact that in such case the United
States would be absolutely without
the effective service Of the 10000 men
now stationed at Oahu: that it would
take at least month to bring them
to the Atlantic coast, even If 1t could
be done at all, and that, as a matter
of fact, It would be impossible, as 1t
would leave the Pacific coast practi-
cally without defense.
Would Serve rs Enemy Base.
The same officer calls attention to
the fact that in case Of attack from
the orient, even with greatly i'm
proved defenses, Hawaii would be of
little use to the United States. In
the first place the Island Of Oahu
would be practically isolated from the
start, an enemy being able to obtain |
a first class base only two hundred
miles away, at Hilo, the second town
of the Islands, where a harbor, re-
Gently made secure as an anchorage
for vessels of the largest tonnage. has
been completed through the construc-
ton Of breakwater. 1t is further
s.A out that with such a base a
i ..sle power would be able to raid
the great cities Of the Pacific coast
practically without opposition until
the battleship fleet could be brought |
through the Panama canal.
In such case, even more notice.
ably than in an attack on the Allan
tic coast, our regular army consist
ing Of approximately 10000 men,
would be reduced to 10000 without
having taken part in a single struggle.
In addition to this the enemy would
have gained footing in the islands,
from which it could not be removed
unless the American naval forces
swept the Pacific clear Of foreign bat
tleships.
Still another matter that compli-
Gates the situation is that nearly one