100 years ago in Spokane: Speakers at Northwest Preparedness Conference warn of vulnerability

From our archives, 100 years ago

The delegates of the Northwest Preparedness Conference heard speakers declare that the entire Pacific coast was vulnerable to attack.

The U.S. was still not a World War I combatant, but speakers at the conference warned that the U.S. needed to be much better prepared.

Lt. J.H. Blackburn of the U.S. Navy declared that “two modern battle cruisers, carrying 12-inch guns, could sink the entire American fleet in the Pacific with little difficulty.”

Lt. Blackburn also said “the Pacific coast is absolutely defenseless from the naval point of view and our biggest guns are 8-inch.”

“We can go out and meet the enemy, but if you do not give us the proper tools we will only die for our country,” he said.

Another speaker, Capt. A.P.S. Hyde, Army inspector of coast artillery, said the defensive installations at the mouth of the Columbia are inadequate. Even worse, Bellingham Bay, Gray’s Harbor and Willapa Harbor “are completely undefended.”

From the squirrel beat: Schoolchildren throughout Eastern Washington had successfully poisoned 100,000 squirrel holes, reported the county farm agent.

“Squirrels are dying by the dozens,” he said.

One school in Plaza, Washington, poisoned 10,000 holes. He added that “we will soon be rid of squirrels.” Schools were competing for prizes to see who could poison the most ground squirrels, considered to be agricultural pests.