Show Secretary Tracy on Our Defenceless Condition Special to THE HERALD Examiner Dispatch NEW YORK April 2A Herald Washington special says What we want said Secretary Tracy today is more battle ships we need fighting ships and I hope they will be given us shall ask for all that I can get We ought to have at least three additional and more if possible pos-sible Your recent report Mr Secretary portrays in strong colors the defenceless condition of our coast cities It is not overdrawn is itt It is not nearly so strong 33 I might have made it Before I wrote the report I sent an officer of the navy on a reconnoitring expedition In and around New York city If I had pictured the situation as he reported it to me I should have been called an alarmist It is absolutely true that a foreign fleet could send its gunboats into the East North and Harlem rivers and by destroying our railway bridges and other modes of communication shut us off first from the mainland and second from all supplies of food The situation would be simply appalling if you will stop to consider it carefully It would not as bad in Boston or Baltimore or other of our Atlantic cities for these are built upon the mainland and our people could seek refuge in the interior But New York and Brooklyn are built upon islands and the two and half million inhabitants of these cities would be absolutely helpless I cannot understand why all the people peo-ple along our coast do not insist that the government gov-ernment shall give them the amplest protec tion In this rebpeet the present difficulty with Italy while it is nu expected to result in war will emphasize tote necessity on our part of greater precautions against attack |