Show COA COAST T DEFENSE Al 9 EXPERT Major ajor Gen William Villiam M. M Black Cites Dardanelles asan as asan asan an Example Nov WA WASHINGTON Nov Necessity 20 Nece Necessity sity for the thO maintenance of ot defensive works s at Important and strategic points along the coasts of the United States is no less patent today than before the war with Germany in the opinion of Major General William M. M Black chief chiet of engineers engineers' In his an annual annual annual an- an nual report published today General Black declared that seacoast defenses had lad lost nothing In importance from the lessons of the war adding Rather was the extreme value of ot such works demonstrated The Turkish Turkish Turk- Turk ish sh forts at the Dardanelles served to pl vent the taking of Constantinople and the opening of a line Une of ot supply for or Russia Hussla This instance alone in its far reaching consequences proved the worth of seacoast defenses General Black expressed the tha opinion that hat heavy ordnance on railway mounts must be considered simply I as auxiliary a defenses to the fixed and permanent works He lIe recommended the he emplacement of heavier guns to offset the greatly increased range of naval guns some of which now can throw a a. projectile twenty-eight twenty and one-half one miles mUes The work of modernizing modernizing modernizing modern modern- izing the coast defenses is being continued continued continued con con- the report showed many re recent recent recent re- re cent innovations In jn the tle science of warfare having been adopted Not the least important of these was a disI disappearing disappearing dis dis- I appearing searchlight tower he fixed type having proven of great greM value to the enemy as a a. a ranging point for their fire The report included 1 d a detailed summary summary summary sum sum- mary of ot the tho work dono done during the fiscal year under the ers and harbors harbors harbors har har- bors project The commission now has under preparation a report on water terminal and transfer facilities of o the United States which is to be bethe bethe bethe the most complete document of its kind ever published |