Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-04
NATIONAL DEFENSE HIGHWAY.
MaryIands Generous Proffer to the
National Government.

tives which have been introduced by
Senator John Walter Smith and Rep
resentative Sydney (. Mudd. respect
lively, providing for the appropriation
OF the sum of $3.50, 900 10 meet an a ,
preparation which was made by { he
Maryland Legislature at its sessi ON,
which recently adjourned. OF the sum
Of $I25.000 for the construction o. the
National Defense Highway over the old
Stage Road from Bladensburg, prince
Georges county. to Camp Parol Anne
Arundel county. in the State Of Mary
land. This proposition, unli he very
many other meTitorious proposals, is
remarkable in that instead OF asking
that the National Goyernm ent appro-
pirate for the entire work, it is to be
reciprocal between the National ami
state governments IN the expenditure
by each. notwithstan ding the disparity
between the resources of the parties
OF the first and sec ono parts. From
thai standpoint. one might say the
proposition is almost unique.
As q measure Of Ma 1ional Prepared
ness. the merits OF the bills which have
been introduced by Sc nator Smith and
Representative Mudd are manifold.
Should we unfortunate ly, at any future
tine. be involved in wa with foreign
nation. the advantages of such a ROAD
for the transportation of troops and
supplies to meet an en- envy attempting
to land at such like ly point as An
napols from which to make an ulti-
mate attack on the National Capital.
are obvious 20 even I ne most superb
cial non-military observer. In such
an unhappy condition of affairs, Wash
ington would certainly Zoe the center OF
a great military camp or. at least
WOULD be a point at which there would
be concentrated large military force;
and the advantage of a high-class road
under those circumstances would be
almost incalculable Much could also
be said OF the great facilities which
would be Afforded to Washington by
reason of having access OF such a fine
harbor as that of Annapolis.
Taken in connection with the fine
hard-surfaced road already construct
ed from Washington to Baltimore and
timore to Annapolis, which is now
nearly completed, it would form the
advantages of which He who runs
may read" Though some brilliant
newspaper writer recently (more i'm
( spirit of righteousness than otherwise
presumed, suggested whether it would
not be equally advantageous to a for
eign foe should he get pos session of the
triangle, ! beg to say that / have no
fear Of such 4 contingency arising, for.
/ having the "coigne OF vantage" /
should be sorry, indeed, to think that
we could not always act on the plan
TO which the famous Forrest attributed
his success. which, he said, was TO
| get there first with the most men"
That has been the habit of Americans
for many years past, and / dent think
we have entirely lost that characters
tic OF our ancestors.
Nor must it be forgotten that there
have been times in the warning couu-
tries of Europe (and the same might.
mhappily. be true here) when the fate
of the nations depended on the ability
to furnish rapid automobile transpor-
tation and the first factor in such
transportation is, of course. a good
road More than that, however, while
the National Defense Highway would
ways he a great military asset, il
would also be of perennial advantage
and use in all the years of peace which
we trust may come to us instea'i OF
years of war and rumorS of war; for
intercourse between the National Cap
tal and me State Capital (the latter
having once been the seat of our Ma
tional Government, and where now is
the seat of the great Naval Academy
establishment, which has been built at
cost of over S10,000,00O), must great
Iy increase as the years wear on.
Historic Annapolis as it well de-
serves to be called, must grow in in
terest to all. 1t would take too long to
enumerate the events which have there
taken place, which will ever stand out
from the background of the past with
vivid distinctness. but the one which
must occur to all with the greatest
force is that so well pictured in the
old Senate Chamber of cur State House
the surrender by General Washing
ton into the hands of the Continental
Congress, whence he had received it. of
his commission asCommander- in Chief
OF the American Army, when. after his
successful conduct of our Revolutionary
struggle. he voluntarily retired TO pri-
waite life on his beloved estate at Mount
Vernon. Old Annapolis will ever be
a Mecca to Americans who revere their
country's history and who love to visit
the scenes where that history was
made So this road would be one
which. while much travelled in war.
would be more travelled in peace
Munitions of war. dreadnaughts and
superdTeadnaughts of every type. can
non of different caliber and small arms
in their infinite variety would have
disappeared and. perhaps, have been
displaced by others of better pattern.
but the National Defense Highway. with
but small outlay for its upkeep, would
be almost eternal; and. increasing in
utility and value with each succeeding
year. would stand as a striking monu-
ment TO the wisdom of its projectors
and builders. as one of the factors of