AMERICAN DEFENCE FORCES.
NEW YOBK, February 24.
On the occasion of the anniversary of George Washington's birthday Mr Taft, speaking at Buffalo, emphasised America's unpreparedneas for war. He said : " We? are making the navy more respectable! yearly, and are hopeful that Congress willl make the army proper the nucleus of « rapid defence force *nd intor a, force -xnnmensntrat© with our population exui t3ia jurisdiction which we territorially exercise." He added that the coast defences of Hawaii, the Philippines, and the* isthmian canal were still incomplete in the event of war, and delay would justify* the severest condemnation. America's defence was slowly improving, and if wax; was averted for a decade it would be i» a better condition than ever before.
General Frederick Grant, of New York, dwelt on America's unpreparedness, and declared that in the -event, of a conflict with Japan the United States would need 1 000,000 troop* to garrison tha Pacifitf coast, and 1,000,000 for tho Aitlanticf coast, while if a great Power overwhelmed the navy only a siege could expel ai* enemy of 50,000 if landed at Montaufe Point.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19080226.2.135
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 30
Word count
Tapeke kupu
182AMERICAN DEFENCE FORCES. Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 30
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Witness. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in