The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-29
rHAr ayoIAsD COULD DO.
A Comuittee or Congress Expiaius How
Our rrontler May be Attacked.

| fact that the report mado by Mr.. Cutting OF
the House Committee on the Militia on the new
Militia bill dwes largely on the possibilities OF
! an invasion OF the United States from Canada.
Leaving to the Naval and other committees
the question OF seacoast defence. this re-
port calls attention to the pcrils OF our north
crn frontier. its moral being the need OF main
tanning AN effective militia force.
Aided by tho increased facilities OF Trans.
portation developed in the last few years. Eng
land can now with her Indian army threaten
tho whole Northwest. whilo menacing our st.
Lawrence border and lower lake frontier with
forces brought across tho Atlantic. "Groat
Britain" says the report made by Mr.. Cutting.
"if uninterrupted. could place within forty
days an army OF 100000 men In the midst OF
tho greatest wheat producing section OF our
country. She has in India. according to tho
latest advces. 72.40S English soldiers. and
the native India regular army of 100000 in
fantry. 2l.700 cavalry. 1000 artillery. and
1.411 British officers. For tho service OF these
she has there 10330 horses and 31S field
guns" Tho report then estimates that from
Calcutta to Vancouver. steaming at thirteen
knots. the voyage will tako only twenty
eight days allowing days stop at Singapore
and another at iok DIANA for coainG:
"ror the rail journey from vancouver to Winnipeg.
and for margin for 4, lays allow eight days (Which Ia
nargc r,argn and we have thirtysx days at the end
OF which time AN army of veteran troops from India
English troops In part and partly natives with English
ofcers-can be moving OH Duluth st. Paul, ana Min.
neapoiis.
ION March l. 1892. IN ere was in store at Minneapolis
a.oSI.s3l bushels OF wheat and at Duluth $3.50, FOO
bushels, a total OF 1913. 33I bushels.
1.-The monthly output OF -four from the Minneapolis
mills aggregates 200 900 barrels. The United states
may well find itself put to its rumps to feed Its troops
when the wheat fields OF Dakota Minnesota and Man
toba shall be in the hands OF the nation which
controls the output OF the wheat crop Of India"
But the control OF the wheat. the lumber and
the ore beds Of the Northwest by an army
moving south from Winnipeg and cutting the
Northern Pacific Railroad is only part OF tho
danger against which we should guard. The
more familiar peril is that which could be
brought upon our northern frontier by troops
crossing the Atlantic to Halifax and coming
up from the West Indies. and uniting with the
home forces Of the Dominion:
Great Britain would. by of her liphdraft gun.
boats have control OF the Great Lakes and thus have
uninterrupted water mmunication. except when tho
ice OF winter prevented between tho left wing OF the
army of occupation OF the Northwest. resting ut
Duluth. and the right wing Of the army OF the
Northeast with its RICH: resting probably
Lake Erie TINS army would be composed OF
tho troops OF the home garrisons in the
United Kingdom aud Ireland and of levies from
Bermuda and Jamaica, and all the militia and voIn-
teers of Canada Great Britain constantly keeps in her
squadron which ia ut Bermuda Halifax or between
these two points from four to tive fine gunbon,s OF such
draft will allow them to pass through the st. Law
renee system canals into Lake Ontario and by
Welland Canal into Lake Erie. These vessels.
without infraction of treaty. and indeed prob
ably without our knowledge. can pass far
up the St. Lawrence that the time required Tor
them to enter and Ontario and pass through tho
we!,aud Canal into Lake Erie must DO estimated in
hours rather than days Once there. even If
ceeded in successfully disput,ng the passage through
the Detroit River and Lake ST. Clair into Lake Huron
there would lie at til mercy cities
Buffalo. Dunkrk, Erie, Cleveland. Toledo Sandusky
and other cities and villages on the south shore OF
Lake Erie"
An appendix fortiHes the views OF tho report.
The great question involved is that OF trans
portation. On this point 1t is shown that Eng
land has strengthened herself by making ar
rangements with the mercantile marine for
the use Of fast and commodious steamships as
auxiliaries in war; Thus her sources Of re-
lance are. first. the regular steamship lines
which she has running in almost any required
direction next, her troop ships. which she
has for ordinary peace service: thirdly and
chiefly. the hired transports. Ten years ago.
during tho operations in Egypt this combined
system was tested to limited extent. and
Lieut.. Commander Goodrich OF our navy some
years later made this report upon her ex-
perience:
1.-THE bombardn ent of Alexandria occurred July H.
1882. and tho British operations in Egypt were for.
may legazed through the passage by Parliament OF
tn, bill granting sterling FOR the expense of
tho expedition.
THE first troops England in the hired trans.
port feet left in the Orient. whose date OF entry
pay July %. 1892 date of sailing July 30 1892
and date OF arrival in Egypt Aug 10 sS2 and the last Of
the fighting line sailed in the Assyran Monarch Aug TO-
1885,: and arrived in Egypt Aug 30 1882, the distance
being 3 900 miles. about the same from Norfolk
Queenstown. The total number OF troops
from England .OU9 officers .. $40 anu 6.227
animals The total expectionary force. including
royal marines. Indian contingent. &c about $1,000.
" Great Britain has a mobilization scheme by which
two army corps. about $4,000 men. will always be
ready for foreign service. thg; upon twentyfour
hours notice they he got ready shipboard Tho
admiralty have arranged for prompt despatch of trans
ports embark the troops the day the orders
are issued"
London military Journal some time ago
also said that the War Oi1ice PROPOSED to be
able. in case OF need. to send away for foreign
service. besides leaving suitable GarrisOns ut
home. two army corps fully equipped. Ono Of
these would contain eight regiments Of caval-
ry. agcregatng 5000 men. and twenty eight
OF infantry. with n then existing strength OF
22.5tO which. however. would be increased to
tner luIl stTensln' tne otIieT WOulu lncluue
three regiments OF cavalry and twenty GO
OF infantry. while both would have tho needed
artillery and engineers. The same authority
gave II list OF about eighty merchant vessels
making IA knots or more. and having gross
tonnage OF 800. 900. which could be called upon
as auXiiaries.
Adjt. Gen. Kelton. In communicating these
various facts to the committee. concludes that
in fifteen days our northern borders could
be crossed by $4,000 soldiers. and there
could DO landed upon the shores OF our
lakes and bays where there arc no forts,
10000 soldiers OF all arms OF tho service in
thirty or forty-nve days" He adds that
1t is not probable that England could land
over G5.OOO men In this country in fewer than
thirty days. although she could perhaps get
10000 here In twenty-five days; but any in
crease OF this number would involve consid-
cradle time" Gen. Kelton allows forty days
for the arrival OF troops from India by way OF
the ocean and tho Canadian Pacific Railroad.
Since tho treaty Of 1917 prevents us from
keeping an adequate naval force on tho lakes.
and since the regular army. small at best. is
mostly scattered for garrison and other du.
inG alI In al - l,,