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Show FORTIFYING AGAINST JAPAN. The general staff of the army evidently evi-dently is looking forward to the time when Japan will attempt to aggies-sively aggies-sively attack the west coast of the United States. In a report transmitted transmit-ted to the President by Secretary Wright, in speaking of "the great potential po-tential strength as an enemy which a certain Oriental power has recently acquired." and the. "ease of conquest" by that same power of the southern part of California, the general" staff says; "An Oriental navy could within afew months after a declaration of war, land on our Pacific Coast an expedition of an estimated maximum of 100,000 men and such a force could be augmented aug-mented by the end of two months more t6 a total of possibly 300,000." "The ease with which San Pedro harbor, unfortified, and through it the entire Los Angeles country, could be Belzed Is apparent," says tho report. From' a defensive point of view, the report points out, the Pacific coast country Is divided naturally into three grand divisions. While complete each in Itself for defensive purposes, thevlare so related to one another as' to readily permit the progressive occupation oc-cupation by an enemy, provided be acts quickly. At tho same time the board points out the ease of retaining possession and the conclusion is reached reach-ed that "sea, mountain and desert combine to make the position of the invader, once he has taken possession of the Los Angeles country in force, well nigh impregnable.' There Is no doubt that the western I coast of the United States could be invaded by a Japanese force. At present pres-ent the Hawaiian islands are not fortified for-tified 60 as to resist an attack from the powerful guns of Togo's navy, and those Islands might be converted into a naval base for the Orientals. From there to soulhern California would be but a short voyage. Once the Japanese obtained a foothold, foot-hold, 'they could overrun the greater part, of California. They could obtain possession of all the larger cities of southern California and exact tribute from a rich and prosperous people. -The belief generally prevails that in case of war the Japanese now in the western part of the United States could block every railroad and make Impossible the quick dispatch of reinforcements re-inforcements to the Pacific coast forts. By blowing up half a dozen bridges and obstructing as many tunnels, the entire railroad system would be crippled. crip-pled. Were bridges destroyed and tunnels blocked, the troops could be transferred; so could the big guns and other heavy ordnance, but the time lost would allow the invaders to entrench en-trench so strongly as to require the heavy sacrifice of the best blood of this country to dislodge them. Eventually Eventu-ally the Invaders would be driven out, but the cost to California and the nation na-tion would be a billion dollars and the roui people of the Pacific coast would endure a period of humiliating subjection. |