The L. A. W. And The U. S. A.

Some of thie mtlit-aTy authoritiea of the UmJted States have shown aa taterest in the bicycle as a machine of poesible value in -war. The United States goverament toas not yet dona bo. Aiiy move tfoat willl enlist the atitentiom of the government will be of larger value tiham the good opimïoin of individual officer of rank, deaiirable ae it is. Outeide of the merilta of the bicycle a a mode of locomotion, tJie L. A. W. luw poTver to reader & raluable service to the Uaited States govern, ment, for -wliich service it may oh. tata reoognttion. The War Departr ment hae never had m ït archive mapa of the good roada for artlllery iia tha Uniited State. A map thai woud pihibit all gravel, mecadam any telio-ni road in the United States wou'ld be of great military value. It wouJd also be of much civil value. 8ucih a map, accurate, ought to con mand an unusual sale. Congres wili not apppopriiate money to obtaia the aecessary inlörmation and publlsh a1 miiirtary map; but properly approached, congrese ought to, and probably would, order the publicatün of such. a mjap iif the L. A. "W. would collect and turniBii the Information accurate ly aawl oomplet-ely. And ii separate state maps were added. each showilng all suoh roads, in addition to all sucli iiiformation ae is expected of fiirst class maps, they should secure a gootí sale. Suoh maps would be object lessoois fox legislatures and for eongress to help the cause of road reform. lL would make some statea and the whole coumtry ashamed to see depict-' ed at a glance the very few milea of good hi'ghway there are in America. It would please the pride of the looalKies whiere these good roads are. It has often been saiid that the L'nited States cannot be tavaded by amy foreign foe. ' A map showing how few good roads we hiave would prove the impossibility of invasión. The hiaughty iinvader would stick in. the muid or stall in thie smul. Modern artillery iis several times heavier than thie guins wltth which Napoleon overram Europe; aad all highly eivilized countries except ours have solid roads; We alotne, among first-class nations are impregnably defended by mud puddies. The eoitire body of military officers itn thie U. S. A. are as earnestly interested im road reform- making better roads - as tbe most emthustastic wheer mem. Tlie L. A. W. can serve the I military; the army has shown its readiinesa to respond to approach by the wheelmen. If their iaifluence can be combiined - and ít can- in favor oí road reform, the national government may be mowd to taJte eome action. Any action will be the beginning oï a miighty alliaince. Gro to the army wkth a thiiing oí large military value, as the maps I have described, and tien use the influence oí all wheelmen upon congressmen and state legislators to get such maps legalined and publtehed, the L. A. W. pledged to supply accurate new information anmually for their correction as fast as new improved roads are