| Show PACIFIC COAST IS PROTECTED Uncle Sam Ready for the Japanese if They Come to Our Western Gateway Hunting Trouble San Pedro Harbor the Vulnerable Spot of the Pacific Coast Will be Prepared to Meet Most Formidable For-midable Hostile Invasion Washington Tho fact was developed devel-oped on Tuesday that the United States government did not intend to be caught napping In the event of an attack by a foreign power which tho general army stuffdeclared might bo expected first at San Pedro Some weeks ago it was announced that General Arthur Murray chief of artillery ar-tillery had started two mine laying vessels around tho Horn for the Pacific Pa-cific upon the way to California Iorls The emergency plan of defense at San Pedro Is to lay the mines at tho first Intimation ot the hostile movement move-ment against the Pacific coast Simultaneously Sim-ultaneously with this n largo number num-ber of field guns which have been selected and are ready for shipment were to be sent to San Pedro Tho experts say that with tho system of mines already perfected for San Pedro harbor It would be Impossible tor a fleet to enter tho harbor no matter how formidable the aggregation aggrega-tion ot war vessels The largp number num-ber of field guns would prevent the entrance of any smaller craft for the I purpose of destroying the mines In the meantime orders were placed for rushing a 1 number of powerful pow-erful searchlights of the sixtyInch type and it has been closely estimated esti-mated that these would have been installed In-stalled within a month It > there was any suspicious movement of an en I emys vessels I The vessels which are coming up the Pacific coast havo not only stores I of mines and torpedoes on board but iso ° rt9xjtCrfatfkf + l imrICOneI1h most Interesting and illuminating features of these plans is that tho war department officers ray that tho government would not have had to rely on the supplies that are coming up the coast to California Mines and torpedoes of all kinds are now In large stock upon the Pacific Pa-cific coast and a good defense could have been put up without the aid of the mine laying ships The schema to be perfect however could not be possible without the ships One of the staff officers was asked how long a fleet could bo kept out of San Pedro He said At least until the battleships on this coast reached the Pacific and thesQ were to bo followed fol-lowed In due IImeU tithe Atlantic battleship fleet |
