“Instead of being as formerly the outpost of the earth, San Francisco is at the present time practically almost as near London as Halifax, and within 20 days from the declaration of war an army of 30,000 British troops could be off the Golden Gate. How would they get in? Well, they would simply slip in the back door. They would land below Pillar Point, cross the divide, strike the Southern Pacific at San Mateo, have a few skirmishes on the way up to the Industrial School, perhaps meet with an hour’s resistance from a battery at that point and a few hours later the invader would dictate terms from the Mayor’s office in the City Hall.” Unidentified military source, 1891…
…to be continued..