turally very strong indeed, because of the length
and nature of the waterway leading to it from the sea and the ease
with which it could be denied. Norfolk is fortunate in its nearness
to Chesapeake Bay and Lynn Haven Roads, and the ease with which the
entrance to the Chesapeake from seaward could be defended; but the
fact that it is only 18 miles from the Atlantic coast-line makes it
more vulnerable than Bremerton to the attack of troops landed by
an enemy fleet. The yard at Mare Island, near San Francisco, is
faultily placed as regards deep water; but dredging could rectify
this. The Panama Canal Zone has great facilities for repairs, docking,
and supplies; but it must be adequately fortified in order to be
a trustworthy base in the case of operations in its vicinity.

New York, by reason of its enormous wealth of every kind, its steamer
terminals, and its excessively vulnerable position, within gunshot
of ships out in the deep water (a position without parallel in
the large cities of the world) must, of course, be protected. The
cheapest way to protect it is to do so locally, by means of
fortifications, and other shore defenses. The only other means
would be by a fleet permanently kept near New York, a measure that
would be expensive beyond reason.

In case the enemy should inform us that he would reach the vicinity
of New York at a certain time, and in case he should fulfil his
promise, the fact that New York was properly strengthened would
not be very important; since our fleet would go there, and the
whole war would be settled by one "stand-up fight." But wars are
not so conducted and never have been. From the oldest times till
now, and even among savage tribes, finesse has always been employed,
in addition to actual force--more perhaps by the weaker than by
the stronger side, but very considerably also by the stronger. A
coming enemy would endeavor to keep his objective a close secret,
and even to mislead us; so that our fleet would have to take a
position out at sea, perhaps far away, which would leave our bases
open to attack by the enemy fleet or at least exposed to raids.

The most effective local defense of a naval base is a combination
of mine-fields and heavy guns, which also give protection to which
the wounded vessels can retire, as the German vessels did after
the North Sea battle. Unless such protection be provided, swift
destroyers can complete the work that guns began, as the Japanese
destroyers