Evening star., 1924-04-19
SUPERPOWER: A NEW ERA
By WILL p. KENNEDY
No. 6--Superpower Essential to National Defense

nections were being worked out when
the armistiee removed the necessity
for further federal activity in that
direction.
The chemical warfare service,
which was a new and vital arm OF
our military establishment, faced
disheartening situation when produc-
tion on a mammoth scale of nitrates,
poison gases, explosives of all kinds
and electro chemical products pre-
required volume OF power that the
War Industries Board found II I'M
possible to concentrate anywhere IN
this country, even though we then
had a generating capacity of more
than 30,008,000.
Nations vital Region
The vulnerable situation in which
VIC were exposed with the major part
of our essential war supplies being
manufactured in a small area hard
by the ports of New York and Boston
is described by Gen. Z. L. Billiard.
of our whole country. 1t is vital be-
cause 1t contains all that is essential
to keep the country aIive-agriculture.
Industries. wealth, population, INES
of communication. 1t Is the region,
therefore, which must be the final OBJ
jective of any power that should ever
make war against us. 1t is also our
most vulnerable region. Any. good,
strong enemy would find it compare
lively easy to get in because there
are lots OF landing places here, and.
once landed. he'd find it easy to cut
lines of communication that lead
from New York everywhere"
One Of the most important-proba-
bly, the most important-factor in
making power available In any SINH
lar war emergency in the future will
be the coordination of our large gen
Grating plants into great Interstate
systems whereby we can get the full
est utilization of all our plants in
stead of the partial utilization which
is possible If they work as isolated
units.
The steps that are being taken now
in linking up adjacent plants and in
getting water powers developed will
put this country in a far better posi-
tion in the future than it ever has
been in this respect in the past.
Bearing on National Defense.
What was said in previous articles
in this series regarding water power
decentralizing industry and leading
to the establishment of factories in
towns and small communities inland
has u direct and very important bear
ing upon the question of national de-
fense. II requires but slight study of
strategy to realize that the bulk of
our war supplies for future wars
ought to be produced behind our nat
ural lines of defense-the Allegheny
and the Rocky Mountains. With dis
tribution of power in these inland
communities made readily available
by superpower systems, and with the
manufacturing plants thus brought
close to sources OF raw material, it
will be readily seen that the United
States Will be in d position TO guard
its essential supplies ahd protect pro-
duction of them from any hostile in
terruption behind natural barriers
that no amount of wealth or engin-
eering skill could supply.
Those in charge of our national
defense have now before them a chart
electric engineer, showing d future
United States. with interconnecting 6
lines to be constructed as economical
ly justified
Army engineers. now. engaged or
their peace-time work on river and
harbor improvements and Hood con-
troll, are familiar with the super
power plan and impressed with its
military importance. Naturally they
will coordinate their own hydraulic
work with the water power develop
ment as part OF great nation " idf
plan