Show THE NATIONAL DEFENSE gen miles calls call attention ioa to the deplorably deplorable a conditions washington Washl neton D C dec 21 21 gen miles the army hsie has given out a statement by request in rega rd to the ability of tho the united states to defend heracla jn in case of war ile he said 1 I have just returned from an inspection r spec tion tour of the le southern coast aud and like other sections of at tho the coun cauntay tay I 1 found it tn in an entirely deren beless condition it war should break out at the present time all we have in the be south bouth or ili 1 fact anyn anywhere here else clue with a few exceptions would be a lot of obsolete guns on rotten carriages which would tall fall over before they could be of any service the country Is in a deplorable plo rable condition for defense there are only three modern bagh puns guns in robi petition tion in this country two of theme ahr no pie etc p ie at the entrance to new york harbor aud and the third la is at atan kan aran casco if congress would make liberal appropriations the coasts can bo be placed in condition for defense in two gears time the work would cost in tile tho neighborhood of tt it would take lit in ills lh neighborhood of it a year to manufacture the tools necessary tor for tho the construction of the guns tad ind then another your year for the manufacture of the puns guns themselves there are four ways by which tile the poast cities could be t protected the first Is by floating batteries unit that la is battleships and monitors the second way iri im by land batteries which could be built quickly end and would be more effective tho the third way Is bv does and mining casc case mAtes without powered guns it would le be dosal lie however for an enemy to lind a force and explode the mining case mates thus thua obviating this danger daniff cr for its ita facet there ther li 19 another way 7 of f protecting t the he harb harbora oro hut but that dinv inv involved olves kestory ing aff the com nArce of the cities llvine living upon th them e in tag method is to load vest waca Is with wl h stone iron etc and sinic them in the channels this would naturally pro arv violt nt either KrOm or OP egress ond ami would iatrow IA troy the cities comy commerce noice after a war an aa iauch its a dining it A MILLION MEN the land fowels foicey no difficulty would be experienced in getting a million men la in a months month tho the small army y we have would be in ili tile the nature 0 it a nucleus for or other oilier troops what we need however Is not men but coast fortl alter after we get the fortifications ficat fleat ions we could ret get the men to op orate crate the guns guna could the united states bo be invaded no N a nor would an on enemy e my cate to invade it all t that h at wo would ld be ne necessary cesary would woul d t for him I 1 to N place lace his alpa oil off our coasts and ire fire shells i nto into our cities this would drive millions of 0 people from their homes anti and bauge untold untold distress T the e wealth 0 of SOO years Is stored stated in bigton ho iton new york and other great cities and their loss lof would be very be severe V ere V we c could not afford to lose them ti em they should be protected on oil the pacific coast the same same do de condition exists not fl of dirt hod has been thrown up around puget sound for the pi election of the cities lying on its the british have a naval station at esaul mault and p nd it could be used as a base against thia country senator squire has introduced it a bill in the senate for or the protection oc at our coasts nelch meets meet my views it makes provision tot or the establishment of fortifications and other defenses recommended by the tha board known as the endicott board which was tip appointed by the president in ili issa tho the bill appropriates tor for this work |