The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-08-17

commander of the United States feet
Of flying battleships. Another BURR
in the automaton, the letters are
changed, and now they read:
"The japanese landed about forty
thousand troops at Rio Janeiro one
hour ago. The landing was resisted |
by our land force. We focused the
White-J ones castigating rays on the
enemy's extreme left flank, numbing a
considerable number of them. But it
seems, however, that they were aware
of the existence of this latest marvel
in modern warfare, and were fully pre-
pared for it. From storage tanks they
released heavy black vapors of SUBJ
stance to us unknown. These cloud
like vapors hung like pail about the
enemy's van, thereby reducing the
paralyzing effects Of the ray. The
electric currents sent against US by the
Japanese wizards were neatly ground
ed by our engineering corps. The bat
tie lasted nineteen minutes and fifteen
seconds. As far as can be ascerta!ned
there were no casualties.
Signed, General Ritiunit."
The foregoing letters have barely
faded away when q third message is
flashed upon the board. They now
read:
"The United States surface feet over
took Japanese feet of same order near
the island of Hawaii. They resorted
to their customary mode of trickery
and deception, producing mirage, dunn
my ships, submerging, and other optic
al illusions. We released some of our
most powerful contact torpedoes.
These were caught in nets stretched
out by the willy Japs and rendered use
less. Their an8sthetic bombs failed to
effect us, having previously protected
our nostrils with h-Brown preven-
tive inhalers. After twelve minutes
and sixteen seconds of cursory fight
ing we deemed it advisable to change
our position farther north. No lives
lost during action.
! Signed, Admiral Dodgem."
The last news flashed upon the board
is from the bottom of the Pacific
Ocean, and follows:
Located the Japanese submarine
fleet at depth of approximately three
thousand fathoms. Owing to the great
water pressure and dense marine vege-
tation our aim was not sure, and our
torpedoes mostly fell short Our
swordfish rammers did some very
effectual work. Many automatic
mines were liberated The concentra-
ted air supply in the Dolphin became
exhausted and the Whale was disabled,
compelling these two boats to rise to
J the surface. The forward searchlights
in my flagship, the 'Porpoise,' were ex-
tinguished by japanese light destroy
er. After an engagement covering a
period of twenty-one minutes and nine
' seconds the enemy's ships retreated
, among the submerged mountains, out
of range of our lights and disappeared
No casualties.
:, Signed, Submarine Adm'rl Chasem.'
We have now seen the mode of war
fare one hundred years from now; ir
the air, on the land, on the sea and ir
the sea. Have gone too far? Perhaps
!, so. But what are we eventually com
: ing TO? Some of the ablest intellect'
of our age are constantly engaged ii
> inventing some death-dealing machine
or other, while at the same time othel
and equally competent minds are bus!
devising ways and means to preven
y the destructible efforts of those same
' inventions. The problems of destruc
:. tion aud protection travel abreast. In
: vent new shell, and new plat
- springs into existence. By and by
when men wake up to the full con
y sciousness of their strength, battle
:. will become shams, mere games o
u hide-and-seek, and finally abolished
;, Love of life is greater than greed.
l Now in conclusion, let us suppos
that the genius and intellect engaged
in producing contrivances of war dow
through the ages had been occupies
le in inventing mechanical implement
q for the Tightening of MAJ burden
= = and the benefting of mankind; tina
i. the time and energy consumed in erect
If ing Notifications, building ships an
s, traps of war, making intrenchment
y and fighting fellow man had been uti
sr lied in cultivating the soil, maxim
g. agricultural improvements and allev
70 ating the struggle for existence; an
e that the countless millions of dollar
., expended in warfare had been devote
. to educating, aiding and uplifting th
y poor of humanity, what would our cor
y ditions, morally, socially and polit
10 cally, have been todayp
leave the solution of this probler
to some able and learned economist.
lel EMERITUS.