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Show uvr NO NECESSITY OF LARGE ARMY. Evidenco accumulates to support Jie contention of many writers that this country does not" need a great standing army, but, Instead, should invn Iflnnrwi nrficors thnrnuchlv cdu- cated and trained In the science of war. The Chronicle of San Francisco has been a persistent advocate of a large army, but, in a moment of abstraction, in an article on the use of automobiles automo-biles in war, the Chronicle says: "A dispatch from Sacramento showing show-ing tho rapidity of Increase in automobile auto-mobile registration for tho state, and giving tho total as 155,413, starts a train of thought upon the relation of autos to American defense. If California Cali-fornia has all those machines, then a glance at the map of tho Pacific Coast shows what wonders might bo worked In the mobilization of an army In the event of an attempt at foreign invasion. It has been said, and truly, that San Francisco, one of tho best fortified ports in tho world, would not be tho object of a direct naval attack, at-tack, but that the enemy forces would be landed at some point or points along the coast. Assuming that to bo the probable course, could not those 155,413 machines move to tho points of danger far more men than could possibly be landed all at once on our shore? People speak of the landing of invading armies of 100.000 at a time, but they do not know what they are talking about The facts In Europe show that you cannot move very great bodies of men all at once over sea. But it may be asked, what training would those Californl-ans Californl-ans have had, and the answer is, not much more than of many armies doing do-ing good work in Europe. There the ready-made, or made-In-three-months soldier is holding his own against forces for-ces trained for many years. And the reason is that In these days of trench fighting it is not necessary for a soldier sol-dier to be skilled in very elaborate maneuvers, for ho is seldom permitted permit-ted to make them on the battle-field. However well they may look in parades, par-ades, they are useless in the faco of the machine gun." Our volunteers would bo equal In courage and dash to tho best trained regular soldiers, and, in addition, they would possess greater initiation. Our standing army is equal to all demands, but the country 1b woefully woe-fully deficient in officers. net- |