U. S. BLACK AND BLUE FORCES WILL
WAR FOR CONTROL OF HAWAII NEXT
_ n
Asiatic Maneuvers Will Tell Wheth
er Pacific Coast Is Protected by
Its Islands or If it Is Open to the
Far East.
WASHINGTON, I). C., Mr. 2S.—
When the Pacific battle fleet noses
its way out of the Golden Gate on
April 15 and heads for the Hawaiian
maneuvers it will represent the most
powerful American armada ever sent
into action. When it returns from
the war games, the army and navy
chiefs believe they will know whether
Hawaii, the key to the Pacific, can
hold off an enemy from the Far East
or whether California, Oregon and
Washington are open to invasion.
Japan could take Hawaii in three
days with her fleet and aircraft
according to the testimony of Briga
dier General William Mitchell, assist
ant chief of air service, before the
house investigating committee. He
charged lack of coperation between
navy and army units at Hawaii, in
sufficient airplanes and anti-aircraft
guns, and that our defenses in the
Pacific are practically nil.
Every military and naval authority
in Washington concedes that an ene
my by capturing Hawaii could domi
nate the Pacific and the western
coast of the United States, but most
of them believe that the maneuvers
will disprove Mitchell’s charge of un
preparedness.
A Six-Week Test.
Six weeks will be devoted to the
test of attack and defense before
the fleet at Hawaii divides on June
7, part to return to San Francisco
and part to continue on the Aus
tralian cruise.
After leaving the Golden Gate the
commander of the fleet, designated
the “Blue” forces, will receive a wire
less order to attack the Hawaiian
islands, designated the “Black” j
forces. At the same time the army i
and navy forces no the islands will
receive radio warning of the im
pending attack.
Under the joint umpires, the chief
of staff and commander-in-chief of
the United States fleet, the test will
be carried out under conditions ap
proximating war as closely as pos
sible. When ships are assumed to
be put out of action by coast de
fenses, their commanders will be no
tified they will hoist a special “sunk”
flag, and proceed to an “out-of-ac
tion” area. Coast defenses will like
wise be silensed when they are out
ranged or their defenders outnum
bered and judged overcome.
For the purposes of the test it is
assumed that the islands do not be
long to the United States.
The twelve most powerful dread
naughts of the fleet wi1! participate,
with an aggregate displacement of
376,200 tons, in tire thre * full batlle
divisions, consisting of cruisers, de
st rovers, submarines, aircraft and
auxiliary craft, sufficient to repair
and keep the grand fleet afloat.
The attack will be couiered on
Oahu, the principal island and the
seat of Honolulu and the naval base.
Practically all calibers of guns and
mortars comprise the coas: defenses
of Oahu, including iwelvc-inch rail
way mortars, 155-mm. guns, three
inch anti-aircraft guns ami 240-mm.
howitzers.
Before the island can be attacked,
the attacking fleet must have gained
at least temporary supremacy over
the defending naval forces. Then
the enemy must get through the air
craft defenses, and finally land ma
rines to take the garrisons from the
rear.
To Silence the Guns.
“In order to reduce Oahu,” accord
ing to a hign military official here,
“the hem y gun defense would have
to be silenced and this would be an
exceedingly difficult undertaking for
a fleet. It is therefbxe very proba
ble that landing would have to be
made. The transports would be ex
posed to air a. tuck and long range
gun lire, the landing force would
meet strong opposition in getting
ashore, and, even if it succeeded in
landing, would have to overcome the
entire garrison.
“After landing,” this authority
continues, “advance would be very
difficult over about two-thirds of the
coast line by reason of the very
rough, almost impenetrable moun
tain chains close to both the eastern
and western shore line,”
Added to these natural defenses
there are 15,000 troops permanently
stationed on the island. But “the
alien population is of no value what
ever to tiie defense, except as labor,
and that in fact much of this alien
population is positively detrimental.”
Of the total population of 255,912,
only 23,723 are Hawaii a ns, while
109,274 are Japanese and 23,507 Chi
nese.
Although everyone agrees that the
“Blue” forces will find it almost im
possible to capture Hawaii—and that
an actual enemy would have more
difficulties—it is pointed out that
the islands are a prize well worth
such a desperate attempt.
"Shut out from the Sandwich
islands (Hawaii) as a coaling base,
I an enemy is thrown back for sup
plies of fuel to distances of 3,500 or
4.000 miles—or between 7,000 and
8.000 miles going and coming, an in
pediment to sustained maritime op
erations well nigh prohibitive,” wrote
Admiral Alfred T. Mahan, the great
naval strategist.
Since the abandonment of defen
sive measures for the Philippines and
Guam by the Washington arms con
ference, Hawaii has become the sole
point of support in the Pacific for
operations involving the more dis
tant islands, as well as for defense
of the United States coast and Pana
ma canal. The possession of the
Hawaiian islands by the United
States denies to an enemy the use
of Hawaii as a base in operating
against the American coast and thus
forces him to advance from a dis
tance which, even under modern
conditions, would be hazardous, if
not prohibitive.
Apart from the importance of
Hawaii the “third grand joint exer
cises’’—^s the maneuvers are offi
cially called—are aimed to develop
better co-ordination and co-opera
tion between the army and navy and
their air service. The oficial pur
pose of the maneuvers is given as
follows:
1— To train army and navy forces
in joint operations, history teaching
that most joint army and navy op
erations failed because of lack of
co-operation, this lack of teamwork
being the result of lack of training.
2— To test the defensive arrange
ments of a locality.
3— To try out methods of attack
against a defended locality.
HERRIOT WINS RELIGIUS BOUT
PARIS, Mar. 28.—By a vote of 325
to 251, Premier Herriot won the bat
tle on the religious issue which has
been before the cabinet for some
time, when the chamber voted con
fidence in the cabinet to “pursue
a firm and loyal application of the
secular laws.”
S. S. ADMIRAL WATSON
Sails from Arrives South from
Seattle Seward Seward
March 24 March 31 April 7
S. S. ADMIRAL EVANS
April 7 April 14 April 20
S. S. ADMIRAL PEARY
April 27—With freight and explosives.
Calling at all regular Southeastern and South
western Alaska ports including Seldovia and
Kodiak.
WAYNE BLUE, Agent
Telephone Main 81 Res.. Madison 40
Pacific Coastwise Jervice
^ADMIRAL LINE
.F.ALEXANDER. PRESIDENTSWbmuujJL.. SS
j
I
I
STEAMSHIP STARR
NEXT SAILING OF STR. STARR WEST, APRIL 5
San Juan Fishing and Packing Co.
G. C. HENDERSON, Agent
PHONE MADISON 13*. SEWARD, ALA8KA
|
’Frisco Mayor Advancing
Gigantic Scheme Put His
City Up for Big Air Base
GARDNER CITY, Mar. 28.—James
Rolph, mayor of Sail Francisco, who
is visiting in the East today, accept
ed the invitation of Major William
J. Hinsley of Mitchel Field to fly
to Lakeliurst tomorrow for a confer
ence with engineers concerning the
erection of a mooring mast in the
California city. The mayor said it
was his hope to make San Francisco
the air metropolis of the Pacific
coast.
SCOTS WIN AT RUGBY
EDINBURGH, Mar. 28.—Scotland
defeated England in the internation
al rugby by a score of fourteen to
eleven thereby winning the Cancut
ta cub, emblematic of the champion
ship of the two countries.
Erunswlck ltadiolas, tne Radiola de
Luxe at the Alaska Shop. tf
FRATERNAL ORDERS
SEWARD LODGE NO 219, F. & A. M.
SL Stated communications first
'^A^'and third Wednesdays of each
/\r\month; visiting brethren wel
come, J. P. Hannon, W. M.; Harold
Painter, Secretary.
RESURRECTION LODGE NO. A-7,
I. O. O. F.
Meets every
8:00 p. m. in
Thursday at
Odd Fellows’
Hall, next to the postoffice. Visiting
brothers welcome. Fred Martineides,
N. G.; Chas. Lechner, Secretary.
AMERICAN LEGION, SEWARD
POST NO. FIVE
Meets the second and Fourth
Tuesdays of each month,
at the Fire Hall. Visiting
members are always wel
come. J. S. Bogart, Commander; L.
W. Olson, Adjutant.
IGLOO NO. NINE, PIONEERS OF
ALASKA
Meets every Second and Fourth Fri
day nights in Odd Fellows’ Hall; John
Flowers, President; Coll A. McDou
gall, Secretary.
SEWARD CHAPTER NO. 10, ORDER
OF EASTERN STAR
Meeets the second and
fourth Mondays of each
month in Odd Fellows’
Hall at 8 p. m. Visiting
members always w'el
:ome; Goldie Blue W. M.
Mrs. Viola T. Swetmann, Secretary.
SEWARD REBEKAH LOGE NO. 6-A,
I. O. O. F.
Meets the first and
third Mondays of
each month in Odd
Fellows Hall at 8:00
p. m. Visiting mem
bers are always wel
come. Mrs. John
Rosness, N. G.
r.
MAJOR LEGION PRESS CLUB
FALLS RESULT NO MEMBERS
WASHINGTON, I). C. Mar. 28.—
The National Press Club, a post
of the American Legion was sus
pended from the District of Colum-!
bia department of the organization,
for failure to report a paid up mem
bership of 15. The post’s member
ship includes James A. Draw, the
Legion National commander, General
John J. Pershing, vice president, Col.
Theodore Roosevelt and Charles G.
Dawes.
NAVAL OFFICER TRANSFERRED
WASHINGTON, D. C., Mar. 28.—
Captain Hugh W. Osterhaus has
been transferred from the naval war
college to command the Portsmouth
Navy Yard, it was announced here
today. A letter, said to have been
writte nby Osterhaus, containing con-,
fidential information as to the re
sults of naval war games was re
cently made public by William B.
Shearer, naval expert in his ad
vocacy of gun elevation.
Ladles’ and Genrs' Alfalfa Harvest
ing—O. K. Barber Shop. tf.
The Alaska Railroad
TRAINS LEAVE SEWARD
8 A. M.
Monday and Thursday
TRAINS ARRIVE
8 P. M.
Let Morrison Fix it for you
Next to Crawford’s Shop
ALASKA STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
Southwestern Alaska Route Schedule
Vessel—
Scheduled
Lv. Seattle
ALASKA March 21
Yukon March 2S
Northwestern April 4th
Alaska April 11
Yukon
Northwestern
April 18
April 25
Scheduled
Ar. Seward
March 28
April 4
April 11th.
April IS
April 25
May 2
Scheduled Sail
from Seward
March 28
April 4
April lltli.
April 18.
April 25
May 2
Steamers in the above schedule will make all regular ports of call
in Southeastern and Southwestern Alaska.
Steamers in above schedule lea%re Seward every Saturday midnight.
J. H. FLICKINGER, Agent
PHONE MAIN 125 _ SEWARD, ALASKA
17
71
AN EMPIRE BUILDER
As all railroads in years gone by have been the greatest
contributing factors in development of the regions through
which they passed, so also i3 THE ALASKA RAILROAD each
day accomplishing much towards the building of an empire.
In place of the old, tremendously expensive and inconve
nient methods of transporting supplies of whatever character
over rough trails from the coast, there is now a modern rail
road that carries supplies and equipment in greater quantities
to and from the Interior, and along the way, in much less
time and at far less expense than was formerly required.
This great steel highway offering regular twice weekly
freight and passenger service between Seward, Anchorage
and Fairbanks; and tri-weekly mixed service over the
Chickaloon and Chatanika branches, is at your service. For
further information write
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
McKINLEY PARK ROUTE <
ANCHORAGE ALASKA
Special week-eend tickets (one and one-third actual fare) on
sale at all ticket offices
a
CITY EXPRESS
Billy Patterson
Meets All Boats and Trains
0. K. BARBER SHOP
Clean, Santiary Baths, Expert
Barbers and Reasonable Prces
Keep Us Busy.
Thomas Jasper, Propr.
FRESH MILK,
CREAM AND ALL
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Our Motto:
“The Best”
SEWARD DAIRY
F. B. MOORE
Gore Bldg. Adams 145
WALL PAPER PAPER-HANG
ING, and PAINTING
TINTING
Gas Launch
KENAI
FISHING AND HUNTING
PARTIES CARRIED DOWN
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Louis Bell, owner