People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1897 — OUR COAST DEFENSES [ARTICLE]

OUR COAST DEFENSES

A CONVENTION TO BE HELD TO DISCUSS THEM. in Case of War With a Foreign Nation Our Coasts Con Id Be Riddled and Incredible Damage Done—A Gathering of Deep Interest For All Patriotic Citizens. A convention will meet at Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 21 which ought to be well attended and which certainly ought to have an interest for the whole country. It is called by the governor of Florida in a circular letter which he has sent to the governors of all the other states, and the object of it, as he sets forth in his letter, is to “discuss methods for the proper defense of southern harbors and to devise means for their betterment.” The harbors which he has in mind are those of the southern Atlantic seaboard and of tbe gulf. The call for this gathering comes at a peculiarly opportune time. The possibility of trduble with Spain gives a deep interest to thesabjectof protection for the coasts. It happens in this case that the part of the coast which would be tbe handiest to attaok is the part Which is the least adequately defended. All the country’s! ports are weak in means to repel an enemy, and those from tbe Virginia poast around to Florida and Texas particularly so. The danger to be guarded against is not the possible holding of any of these ports—for nobody in Europe or anywhere else believes any foreign nation could do this for more than a few days at the outside—but the destruction or

serious Injury of some of them "toy® sudden dash might be an inoident of a war with even a third rate power like Bpain. This peril shonld give the whole country a deep interest in the coming gathering and impel every state to send delegates to it. There is no immediate danger of trouble with Spain or any other country; but, as before mentioned, this Cuban conflict, unless the jingoes are suppressed, may involve the United States at any time. Yet, even if this Cuban struggle were ended, the necessity for strengthening the country’s harbors wonld remain. The defenseless condition of theooasts shows a lack of forethought which exposes us to ridicule and at the same time deprives the country to some extent of a weight in diplomatic matters commensurate with its extent and resources. The creation of an adequate system of coast defenses will require the labor of years, and a beginning of the work cannot with safety be any longer , neglected.—St Lonis Globe-Democrat