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Cabinet Meeting at Washington
57

of the late war. With the menace of the British fleet removed, Germany is free to concentrate on our coast the whole strength of her navy. The General Board has reason to believe that Germany several years ago worked out a plan for the invasion of the United States, and it is believed also that, in the event of war, she would strike at once with all her available forces. It would be her object to overwhelm our fleet, obtain command of the sea, and land an expeditionary force, say, of 150,000 to 200,000 men, which, if our fleet were destroyed, she would be able to accomplish within ten or twelve days from the commencement of hostilities. The decisive action would have to be fought between the dreadnought fleets of the two nations, and, if we gave battle, we should find ourselves opposed by a fighting line of double the strength of our own; for Germany can oppose twenty dreadnoughts to our ten, and judging from such