Page:America Fallen!.djvu/73

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Cabinet Meeting at Washington
61

and finally, and with scarcely a spell of rest, she waged the most remarkable campaign of her history against a first-class military power.

"In the event of the probable defeat of our fleet due to scattered forces and the overwhelming strength of the enemy, Germany would at once commence the invasion of our territory. And the question which I have been called here to answer is: what would be our chances of successfully resisting such an invasion and driving the enemy back to the sea?

"We have at the present hour, within the Continental United States, only about 30,000 men of the regular army, including mobile troops, cavalry, infantry, and field artillery; and we have about 16,000 men manning the coast defences, which is about one-half the necessary number. In the militia of the United States, which totals 127,000 men and officers on paper, only