Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-16
TIE YELLO WDANGER
THE STORY OF THE WORLDS GREATEST WAR
BY NJ. P. SIHEL.
Copyright. 1859. By R. F. reaso Z O.,

slip from newspaper about some China
men who have come to St Petersburg. be-
cause believe 1t is well worth your at
tention- In my opinion, within three or
four weeks from now there will be some
four hundred millions OF yellow men in
have just come from China myself. so I
ought to know what am saying. A very
great man. named Yen How. Is the cause
of all this. In my opinion. the very best
thing England could do would be to with
draw at once from the continent the armies
she has ass there am my LORD. your onedi
en- r. sear 49, .,.;,d f I,.t hA eIsaS. ~
started at the keen spur Of terror 1t was
the prime minister on reading this note
Now he understood some things which
had puzzled him.
some American cruisers In Chinese
waters had mysteriously ceased to
report themselves. Later had come the
news that no intelligence could be obtained
OF some italian and Austrian ships-of-war
sent out to China during the eastern
craze" Merchant ships from Europe had
sailed round the cape to the far east, and
their long delayed return was still awaited
1t was known that China and Europe were
telegTa phically disconnected.
These things at another time might have
given to Europe some hint of the actual
facts. But during the preoccupation of the
war not the remotest mixing of the truth
occurred to any enc. China was a forgotten
land. The result of the great battle in the
Hwanghai was still unknown in England
all was unknown. Hardy was the first mes
senger from that silent but busy eastern
world who had appeared for many a month
AT the Hard boat awaited him. He was
taken on board the Arson. which carried
the admirals flag at the main and was re-
ceived by Lord Charles Beresford in his pri-
vate cabin.
The CHEEKY sailor took the hand of the
grave-faced one and said:
Il congratulate you heartily Mr. Hardy
on the merited enthusiasm and confidence
which you have aroused in your country
men, and l shall feel myself honored by
your cola boration.'
And Hardy said:
Thank you. my lord
And, after some few words, they sat to-
sether, and Beresford said:
The facts. since you are ignorant OF
them, are roughly these: TIE navy of Italy
Is practically intact. OF her first-class bar
tiesh1pS, two were sunk by Riviera forts
but about 10000 tons OF her 10000 odd
tons in this line remain, with say sixteen
guns over thirteen inches, and, counting
the whole fleet, forty-tour over ten With
the names. tonnage and ornaments of the
various ships you are familiar the two lost
ships being the Re Unberto and the Rug
giero df LAURA France on the other
mana, has lost heavily the war: her Tou-
ION squadron of eighteen armored ships
which she had reduced by those sent to the
first invasion of England, was destroyed in
the Bay of AfgeciraS curing an ATTEMPT TO
pass through the straits. a few Anticipated
wooden things like the Colhret and the Suf-
fren. we'll as that rather lame, duck the
Richelieu. still remain.
Her Leyant squadron however is mostly
good Tor night; there was a brush with our
east Mediterranean force, but the French
turned tail and were lost in mist after
some mutual injuries. The ma iority of the
hfteen coaSt-defense ironclads moreover
are intact, and l have no doubt will be
dragged into this final effort. Altogether
we have. think, to reckon with a contri-
putlon from France of. say, 96cO0 tons and
THIS VIII include, | think | may saw the
Brennus. the Sfax. the Trident the two
three-masted ntre-torpilleurs Voutour and
Cosmao, the Amiral Duperre, the Levrier,
the cruiser Troude the Marceau and the
Magenta. Those. l think, are all l can be
sure of.
In the Baltic there have been four bat
ties, one British-German one British Rus
slan-German. one Swadish-D nish- German
and the last Swedish Russian
On the state OF affairs with regard to
baitlc shlps L am, unfortunately. not so
well informed. l very much doubt If there
remains to Sweden a single effective shin of
war; but, II am not wrong we NAV expect
70 nave TO do with contribution from
Russla and Germany combined of say
10000 tons, one-half of which. 1 calculate,
Will be battleship weight, and the rest
cruisers and torpedo fotiilas. Austria Will
send her single battieship and her 70 on0
Ton weight IN cruisers, making altogeth her
with torpedo boats, say, 10000 tons Put
ing all these together, I have calculated
MI; Hardy an opposition of 4j600o tons
very wen. now. Let us turn nearer
home and see what force we have 10 on
pose to this great armada. Britain, | as
sure you has had a hard and uphill fight
OF II. Ihere lie around you ships recalled
from every quarter of the globe eycent
China, where, l hear that YOU saw onr
squadron has gone to Davy Jones If an in
Vading army were to descend from LET rs
our colonies undefended Happily our
enemies are in the same plight Altogether
we nave at our command. including avail
able coast-defense ships, 10000 tons, Just
about one-third of the enemy's force: and IL
these figures do not fill you with certain
gravity 1t is because you are Briton and
Mr.. Hardy"
Beresford smiled as he concluded. lean
ing back his chair; Hardy, looking unon
the ground. did not smile.
After minute Hardy said:
take II. my lord, that after this battle
there won't be any ships of war left any,
uhere?'
There will be the japanese. Chinese ann
american navies." said Beresford land
some things Of Spain, with some inconsld-
erSDle Portuguese and Dutch ships Europe
greyhounds"
Still Hardy did not smile.
ana what are our best ships my lordy'
he said.
''Our best ships are good ren,iea Lord
Charles Beresford. 1--WE have the illus
trious, the Hood, the Anson the Trafalgar.
the Royal Sovereign, on board of whi.h
you VIII bear the joint direction of The
battle, though. l am sorry to say without
a nag captain! Also the Centurion. the
ME. the Benbow, the Hero. You Will
see IN a few minutes for yourself. Not all
the most modern of the modern PERHAPS
put all good ships and true"
There won't be much of them left after
the battle. my lord" remarked Hardy
This was obvious. Lord Charles Beres-
ford coughed. And he said:
i suppose not. But now-the case being
as have explained to you-what are your
IDEAS as to a plan of battle. and so orr
For some time Hardy was silent, perus-
ing the ground. Afterward he said:
ITO be candid, my lord, have no idea
not a single one Or, rather 1 have one"
Very good Mr.. Hardy, let me hear it,
and we will then confer together upon it,
My idea is this, SIR" said Hardy; TO
ask you to let me take a cruiser, or a pin
race. or something, and go to the foreign
fleet with a flag Of truce to try and per-
suade them, by hook or by crook, to go
back again to their own country"
MY good Mr.. Hardy" broke from Lord
Charles Beresford's HIPS
You are astonished my lord" said
Hardy. You guess that I am as fond of
fight as any one, and you did not quite |
expect to hear that sort of proposal from |
r,f 7 ok ari<s oil,