Show I In Event Great Cities tat t-at Mercy of War of Powerful Few Hy GEN JOHN C UNDERWOOD lii considering Hit proper way to defend n country coun-try against iirniid im sion lie first filing to investigate investi-gate in vliulher its wealth and desirability of territory terri-tory would engender envy and a covetous wish to Iy setae any part or the whole thereof by grasping legion le-gion of an unscrupulous military tuition and secondly sec-ondly as this country is largely aabound to deter a mini1 whether it has a sullicicnt navy that could bo relied upun implicitly by its prowess to protect the land against invasion by wouldbe conquering hosts In J the construction of a military force for coast 6 and interior home defense by a commercial nation it is necessary to consider i carefully the best manner of preparing and organizing an army out of the material at hand consisting of a nucleus of educated instructed instruct-ed and drilled soldiery and a mass of raw recruits The United States of America is undoubtedly the richest country on the globe selfsustaining in every way The granaries of this paradise of the new world supply the needs of its nearly 100000000 people J and additionally ad-ditionally furnish large quantities of food for the other principal nations of the earth It is true that the harbors of the principal cities and a few inlet waterways water-ways of our coasts have in a very great degree been fortified and prepared against attack from the sea by a sufficient power to give force to such a movement yet the fact is entirely overlooked that the organized coast artillery is totally insufficient and inadequate to properly man and fight more than onefourth of the modern guns now in position on the coast ramparts of the nation A defeat of our navy in its home waters not a probability though a possibility would lay the past open to an attacking enemy under the guns of its victorious fleet And it is not certain that such a fleet would land forces where there I could be little opposition and hold a lodgment under its guns until such grasp of territory could he made seeureby strong intrcnchments manned with the flower of foreign soldiery constantly reinforced by well mobilized troops educated and drilled into an effective if not a veteran army CoiiKqucnlly prepare for land defense in time and with an army of proportions commensurate with the service that maybe may-be required of it e New York could now be taken within a fortnight after first attack and lodgment in rear and Washington be captured almost immediately before be-fore n sufficient repelling force could be concentrated to resist land invasion inva-sion It is perfectly true that in ease of foreign invasion the whole country would rise up to drive the invaders out mind would ultimately do it no matter what the cost But that could not bq done quickly and until great destruction had been worked against our people without previous preparation prepara-tion to meet the despoiler for volunteers come with war and without preparation The millions upon millions of dollars that have been put into the I11lW arc well placed and it should be fostered and not be curtailed It is is necessary an adjunct to tho army as the army is to it and both together form the defense of tho nation i There are plenty of fortifications and guns but too few officers nnd men to man and work them What is the use of having four guns with which to protect your homeif you can only shoot one What is the use of expending fabulous sums of money constoicting permanent fortifications fortifica-tions and mounting them with the most expensive disappearing guns unless un-less such forts are manned with educated officers skilled gunners and competent soldiers to care for such valuables of the nation |