Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-02-27
KEEPING I { !. ENEMIES | ! |: I
FROM OUR COASTS
Five Hundred Mile Iron Arc
Will Be Kept on Guard.
ALL PLANS READY FOR War

Protection For New York, as Country's
Greatest Commercial Center, and
PENNSYLVANIA Coal and Oil Fields 10
Provided For-Work Of the Fast De-
stroyers.
AS relations between the United
States and Germany have become
more and more strained with the pas
sage of every twenty-f0ur hours, the
EXPERT battle tacticianS Of the navy,
especially those of the naval war col.
lcge at Washington, are concentrating
their strategy upon the naval defenses
of the Atlantic seaboard. This means
, primarily the defense Of the two zones
which have been deemed to be the
most important-the region 1mmedi-
ately about New York and that about
the Delaware capes, says the New
York World.
The necessity for the protection OF
New York is considered obvious, as the
financial and commercial center OF the
country. The demand for the ade-
Guate defense Of the Delaware capes
lies in the fact that from that point
successful enemy would have access
to the great coal and oil fields Of Penn
sylvania, with the taking Of Philadel.
phia as natural result. And from
the capes the way would be more or
less open to the nations capital.
First Line Of Defense 500 Miles Out.
To meet naval raid upon the east
ern seacoast the experts haye devised
a plan, subject to a number or varla-
tons to cope with as many conditions,
which calls for naval battle line ex-
tending from Cape Cod to point we'll
below the Delaware capes.
This line, which would be the first
with which an enemy would come into
touch, extends in an arc with radius
of 800 miles-in other words, 500 miles
off the eastern coast. 1t is to be COM
posed Of the fastest destroyers the
navy can supply, those capable OF u
speed Of at least thirty knots an hour.
They are to be stationed twenty-five
miles apart and are to be kept con-
stantly cruising along their particular
section of the arc.
Fast Cruisers In Second Line.
Stretching from the center Of this
great arc, line Of destroyers would
be in direct and constant communities
ton with the base of the Atlantic feet,
which would be at Block island or
Newport, r. 1. There, cruising about
at reduced speed, but preserving
the utmost mobility, the superdread-
naughts Of the navy would be assem-
bled. Two hundred miles beyond them
would be the second line Of defense,
the fast cruisers, capable Of making
first response to the word brought back
from the outer line that the enemy's
fleet was on the horizon.
After the outer line had discovered
the enemy and reported him its de-
stroyers would have served their ini-
tial purpose and would fall back upon
the second line and eventually rejoin
the main fleet of battleships. The bat
tleships, accompanied by seagoing sub
marines-as distinguished from those
of smaller size detailed as coast de-
fenders-would then go to the attack.
With them would go tho fast destroy
ers which had done duty on the outer
line. ready now to race to within at
least 1000 yards of the advance guard,
discharge their torpedoes and dash
back under the protection Of the great
err vessels, there to form for another
attack at the command Of the admiral
of the feet.
1t Is confidently expected that in
naval encounter with an enemy the
engagement would be fought decisive
ly at distance OF not less than 300
miles off the Atlantic coast, as one
aim of the American ships would I've
to attack while the hostile feet was
still encountered with its transports
and auXiliaries.