Evening star., 1934-11-18

washington, capture PRESIDENT Madi-
son. bow to gay Dolly and dine at her
table caused no alarm in the Capital
The National Intelligencer, organ
of the administration, offered the
naive explanation that the warships
had probably come to get fresh water
The same writer, later noting the
landing of a military force at Leon
ardtoWn, which was estimated at from
800 to 1000 men, remarked with a
shrug of the shoulders, 1T is probable
the smaller estimate is overrated," but
added with a flourishing index hand
"A few torpedoes, Judiciously planted
in the Potomac and Patuxent. might
We fancy rather impede the enemy
furtive exploits"
Madison Remained Tranquil.
''The British" declared Secretary Of
War Armstrong. would never be sc
mad as to make an attempt on Wash.
ington, and it is therefore totally un-
necessary to make any preparation fol
its defense"
President Madison, even with the
enemy only 100 miles away, insisted
there was no need for urgency.
In contrast to the apathy of the ad-
ministration was the action of the
Washington City Council, which a;
early at 1918 made a standing offer Ic
the Government of $4,000 TO prepare
for the enemy's reception" but a:
the city demanded a Government
guarantee that the contribution
should be employed solely for the de-
fense of the District of Columbia, il
was never accepted Their only thanks
was Armstrong; sneer at the anxiety
of the citizens and a refusal to give
arms to the militia
Meanwhile, a protest came from the
Federal Republican, organ of the op-
position political party, published ir
Georgetown. 1t scored "the shameful
neglect of the administration to pro.
vide an adequate defense for the Cap.
ital of the Nation and the District o1
Columbia generally" which wa!
viewed as "a just cause of loud com.
plant among all parties"
City Ignored Threat.
AS the shadow of war crept closer
and closer to the inert city the Re.
publican said, 1T behooves every
true American to lay his hands on hi:
bosom and ask the Silent Monitor
Snail I incur the guilt of aiding in
the prcstration of all that remains oi
my country, of its property and its
character
Edna May Coleman, in Seventy.
five Years of Washington Gossip,
says: Washington danced and dinec
and pursued its merry sociaI round Of
gayeties while war clouds hung lowel
and lower over the head of the Ma.
tion. The struggling little City O.
Magnificent Distances remained pas
sive until the storm broke and ther
terror and panic banished all power
of resistance"
The obstinate belief that no rea
danger was impending continued al
most to the moment of the British
troops arrival before Bladensburg
Only Commodore Barney of gunboa
fame appeared sane and energetic. AL
others were in a condition bordering
on funk. and thus the day was lost
House and drank Madisons wine, bu
he bowed to empty walls and failed t.
capture the President because tn,
Chief Executive and Dolly had fec
in different directions That nigh
the Capital of the United States la!
in smoldering ruins.
A witness to the burning told Ad
miral Cockburn, "If Washington wer,
alive you could not have done this
NO" answered the admiral, "wt
should not have been at war, MOI
would he have left his Capital de-
fenseless."
Even More DefenSeless Now.
Considering the development o.
modern war materials and weapons
including airplanes. radio, search
lights and fire control, the little Cit!
of Washington in 1914 possessed a
Fort Warburton a better defensiv,
armament against the British invader
than the Capital has today agains
modern air raiders. Moreover, th'
American Army at that time wa!
larger in ratio to population than il
our Army of today. Based upon ar
estimated population of 100000 il
1914 and a regular Army of $500
trained soldiers, not including an!
State militia, this represented a pei
capita of COG persons to each soldier
Based on a population of l25. .000. 900
this would be equivalent to an army
of over 100000 men.
Methods of warfare have greatly
changed since 1914, and even since th'
World War the development of wal
instruments, such as airplane bomber,
and airplane destroyers, has necessi.
tated different strategy and differen
military tactics. Another war viii
Continued on TCuFts PageJ