Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22

together sure about attacks on English ves-
sells one by one.
No said the old orieanist count, who
tempt to cut OF England's food supplies by
war or swift cruisers would mean O re-
turn to the old privateering system. But
vessels. They did not have to stop to take
on coal at critical moments. How could We
compete In such a campaign with a power
hke Great Britain, with its coaling stations
everywhere"
We must attack and destroy the English
meets, was the solemn pronouncement OF
the nationalist. This is the real nationalist
But" the drug clerk timidly suggested.
might not our own fleets get destroyed in
Grave question:!
Yes, our fleets will be destroyed In the
act! cried the enthusiastic nationalist" IT
grant It, expect II. They will know how
70 perish Tor the glory of their country!
Let them meet the British! Let them sink
and be sunk, battle ship for battle shin
cruiser for cruiser.''
In that case" insisted the other. eng
land would still have a good number af,ost
when the last of our warships had gone 70
me Dottom because marine cannot
compare with theirs in point OF number
Thinks British Navy Weak.
England has an enormous number of
Warships-on paper" was the nationalist's
ready answer. But, according to their
own published accounts in the recent scare
there Is an immense amount of bluff in all
those hgures.. Why they count in their
cnanhel and coast-defense fleets vessels
az ineo with the old muzzle-loading gins
1t Is notorious that they have not apomah
sailors and marines to man all these sbins
nave you read Gen. de la Rocoue's arti-
III. pr',tA, our marine experts know that
INC Dil'ish navy Is as rotten as the British
army was proved to be at the commenca
ment OF the Transvaal war And. to keen
up your courage, l will tell you something
tnat Is no secret and yet remains almost
as unappreciated by Frenchfneu as Ly the
outside world. 1t is that our melinite is tie
most terrible explosive known to military
science. we have seen how the English
lyddite-the bastard cousin of melinite
whose secret was stolen only partially by
them from the unhappy Turpin-failed 20
Justify Its promise in South Africa The
h hngnsh officers and men are afraid of it.
because they know 1t to be an imperfect
makeshift. All! my children, the secret of
melintte has been we'll kept, after all And
mark this. when our fleets meet those of
Great Britain they must submit to a fire of
melinite from our cruisers and men-of- war
Ihey can give no answering fire of lydd'te.
Their warships do not carry it. Their lyd-
dite Is only for use on land"
Then you really count on a duel to the
death between the French and English
heetsT, asked In surprise.
Yes" he replied. II count on a clearing
OF the channel during time long enough
to land French army on the English coast
by means of French transports. Why
they talk of nothing else than this In mill
tary and naval circles. All. If we oniy had
the transports at this moment We shall
soon have them"
Wait till the exposition Is over" unused
the Bonapartist baron.
"And England has half her fleet in Chi
nese waters" murmured the old count.
And half the British navy in the hos
pital!'' added the young Christian socialist
drug clerk in fraternal accents.
STERLING HELLO