AMERICAN DEFENCES

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14758, 30 August 1913, Page 12

AMERICAN DEFENCES

NAVY IN THE PACIFIC.

STRENGTHENING THE ARMY

(FROM OTTR OWN CORTIESPONDHNT.)

SAN FRANCISCO, August 3

An announcement of great importance to every white nation with interests on the Pacific Ocean was made in San Francisco last week by Josephus Daniels. Secretary of the Navy. Hitherto tho'American fleet of warships has had its home in t-ho Atlantic Ocean. Occasional visits have been mado to the Pacific, and a few vessels have always beei| kept in this ocean, but probably ninej-tenths of America's naval force has (remained stationed along tho Atlantic seabard. With the opening of the Panama Canal this state of affairs will come 1 to an end. When the fleet steams through the waterway for the first time, it will, in the words of Secretary Daniels, "not be coming on a visit, but be coming to its home." Thereafter the Pacific will share the fleet equally with tho Atlantic. It will bo practically divided into two equal squadrons. The visit of Mr Daniels to the Pacific coast was in connection with politics mado necessary by the intention to maintain a powerful fleet in the Pacific Ocean. A great navaJ station and drydocks are probably to be established in San Francisco Bay, and tho other naval stations along tho coast are to be improved, i It is quite apparent that the Government regards tho Pacific Ocean and the Pacific oast territory as the theatre of any possible trouble. Not only has the Secretary of the Navy been on a tour of the western country, but tho Secretary of War, Mr Lindley M. Garaccompanied by Major-General Leonard Wood, chief-of-staff, and other high army officials, has been inspecting tho defences of this coast with a view of adding to and strengthening them. A re-arrangement of the army posts so that troops may be more speedily mobilised in time of trouble than under existing conditions, is announced a« one of the changes to be put into effect. Small interior posts that no longer have any real usefulness will be abolished andtroops concentrated in larger numbers at coast points. The leading spirits in the present administration—President Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan—aro of emphatically • pacific temperament, constitutionally averse to warfare,, and it is inconceivable that while they are in power this country will become embroiled in armed strife, except under tlie most urgent circumstances. Nevertheless, the Administration seems alive to the need for adequate military and naval protection. The insignificant sizo of tho army was pointed out by Mr Garrison while in ban Francisco. "Consider this fact," he said; "in this great empire of ours we have a mobile army of 33,000 men, or the equivalent of the combined police force of three of our largest cities, to defend the empire. Tho balance is in our overseas possessions or manning coast artillery defences. It is a point thai I want to bring home to you, and bring home to you strongly." The Secretary of War urged •upon the States the creation of a sufficient reserve force back of the army to supplement the regular army in its work of national protection. '"The more this patriotic idea is pounded into tho people tho better off will the country be. I believe in peace, and I believe in my country so much that I know she will always have peace until a v.-ar of right is inevitable. But when that war comes we must have the fairly well-trained citizen-soldier right at the back of the regular standing force to back it up in its fight."