The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-12-02

1899 10 1915; she fought with Franc,
and against Russia in 1864; In 1911!
she fights against Germany and will
France and Russia. In oil this | an
laying no fault at her door, bu
merely following the course OF his
tory and calling attention TO the yer.
incation OF Washington's maxim
Great Britain is, and thinks she mus,
be, the naval and commercial mis-
tress of all the seas, and II, in the
pursuit of our ambition for national
supremacy. we should ever cross heI
purposes on the seas, TO say nothing
Of other grounds Of possible differ
ence, we shall see that blood is even
thinner than water, and that the
law Of self-interest still obtains
even with one Of the most exalted
nations on earth.
Having now briefly summed up the
things of value which we as a ma
tion are obliged TO protect, called at
tention to some possible dangers, and
noted few probable sources OF at
tack, let us next see whether, in a
military sense, we are adequately
prepared for the national defense.
Some Figures
According TO the last annual re-
port of the secretary Of war, we have
a standing army Of i,7Oi officers and
S7,7Si men, including the quarter
master and hospital corps. or these,
75s officers and 1901 men belong TO
the coast artillery. and are, there
fore, stationary and can be used only
in our city and harbors defenses;
ZOOS officers and 1885, men belong
to the technical and non-hghting
branches Of the army, such as mill
tary instructors, recruits, and men
engaged in recruiting, leaving a mo-
bile army. that is. an army that can
be moved from place TO place at any
time Of call, Of 2,935 officers and ST.
466 men. or this mobile army. 9,572
men are in the Philippines; S,i95 in
Hawaii; 2,i79 in the canal zone; $40
in China; S62 in Alaska; 1000, until
recently, at Vera Cruz; and 707 in
Porto Rico, and the secretary states
that when he makes a new and i'm
necessary assignment OF
quotas to our various posts outside
Of continental United States we shall
then have left, for the protection OF
iOO,OO0,OO0 people and over hree
square miles OF territory, a
mobile army OF but 2i602 men, a
force just a little more than twice
the size Of the police force OF the city
Of New York.
This little mobile army Of ours.
less than 25,OOO in number, together
with the small garrisons OF our coast
is today the nations
only regular force for the protection
81 this vast country, this veritable
Lreasure-land. with all its multiform
interests, a continent stretching 5000
miles. from ocean TO ocean, with a
Pacific coast OF 1900 miles, a Cana
1ian border of 5000 miles, an Allan
lie and Gulf coast Of over 5000 miles,
md a Mexican border OF 1900 miles
And even this little nucleus OF an
army must of necessity be scattered
Ill over the United States, most Of il
many days travel from New York,
Boston, San Francisco, or any other
,lace Of probable attack. Germany
IT England or any other flrst-class
European power. could quietly en-
ark an army of 250,OOO men, arrive
n the waters OF New York within a
'eriod OF ten days, flank the forts OF
hat place, go up the coast and land
rom open sea, enter New York, de-
troy il, sack il, burn il, or hold il |
or five-billion dollar ransom at |
will, and be comfortably settled be-
ore our little army could reach the
hudson, and when it got there il
'ould be about as potent for our de-
ense as would be a company OF
half-trained school boys
gainst a regiment OF well-armed
nd well-trained regulars.
Utterly Hopeless
But not only would the city OF New
'ork be at the mercy OF the invad-
ng enemy, either for destruction or
Dr. the levying OF tribute, but the
Onquerors would be in the very
cart Of our stored arms and ammu-
itions, in close proximity TO all our
manufactures OF military supplies,
nd nearby the ship yards where all
UT vessels of war are built, while
Ist a little further away are the
Dal and iron mines and oil wells
'om which all our military supplies
re originally derived. Thus a sin
lie unchecked invasion at this vital
pot OF the nation might leave us ut
'rly PROSTATE and helpless and lead
, n,tp Anal Ioot ion N, .,,k; |