New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-04

Mayor Mitchcl's answer 70 the state
Senate was more an arraignment of
Senator Wagner and the entire Senate
for failure 10 discharge a duty TO the
United States than defence of any
thing the Mayor had said. The Mayor
stood squarely upon his original asser-
tion.
lie explained that, contrary 10 public
impression and 10 newspaper reports,
nothing has been done in the way of
erecting Notifications at Rockaway, OK
cept a small amount of temporary
work. and that the armament and equip
ment which had been installed consists
only of small calibre guns and IS only
in the nature Of an emergency prepare
tion against attacks by comparatively
unimportant naval units. He pointed
out that this temporary work had no
relation to the real Notifications which
the Federal government proposed 70
erect at Rockaway as soon as soon as
legislation at Albany permitted it to
obtain a title to the necessary site.
The Mayor supported his statement
not only by complete and detailed re-
cital Of the entire history of the Rock
away land transaction, but by letters
from Brigadier General William NJ.
Black. chief of Engineers, I. >. A, and
Colonel Frederic V. Abbot, of the army
engineering corps. These letters show
the urgency of immediate action by the
Legislature which would permit the
United States to obtain clear title to
the property and begin construction OF
the fort.
Colonel Abbot declared that the de
lay which has already occurred and all
that may ensue does materially preJu-
dice the United States in efforts to
establish important national defences
against possible foreign attack, and
that under existing international con
ditions this may be an extremely i'm
portant matter.
Treason Not Charged
The Mayor stated that no one could
properly draw from his statement the
inference that Senator Wagner was
charged with treason to his country or
with being actuated with a desire TO
serve Germany, and that 1t was not so
intended. He declared, however, that
the obstruction 20 the proposed Rock
away fertilization legislation had Great
ed the appearance before the world that
the work Of certain members OF the
Legislature, Senator Wagner specliical-
". was more in the interests of Ger
many than in the interests of the
United States.
81 do not know anything of the mo-
tive which caused Senator Wagner to
lead obstruction to this measure" said
the Mayor 81 have not analysed his
mind. He alone knows il. But ! do
charge that what he has done through
this obstruction can work. not in the
interests of the United States, but can
work only to the advantage of her en-
envy, and that enemy to-day is Ger
many.
at is common knowledge that the
United States is to-day wofully and
pitiably unprepared for war" the
Mayor continued. at is common knowl-
edge that of all the great communities
of the United States the City Of New,
York is most exposed. least prepared
10 receive kHt SloNh VI hpaNii'7 eNNeN'''
"The projected Rockaway fortifica
ton was designed to give projection to
the City of New York against lombard
ment by the capital ships of an enemy
feet lying off the Rockaway shore IN
the Atlantic Ocean. It is fact that to-
day such ships as of the type Of the
Queen Elizabeth, Of the British navy,
or the Friedrich III, of the German
navy. could take up a position off the
Rockaway coast, Themselves out of
range Of any gun now mounted on the
Atlantic seaboard, and put under fire
of their guns the entire City of New
York south Of Fourteenth Street
Wagner Had Blacks Letter
The Mayor made a strong point Of
the fact that Senator Wagner had in
his possession at the time he led the
opposition to the Mills bill the letter
from Brigadier General Black urging