Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1907-01-10
THE YELLOW
Pc Ri
BY JOHN FORBES

5 Copyright, By Daily Story Pub. COY

Il :
tcopyrdeht, By Daty Story Pub. Coy
An oppressive gloom pervaded the
| atmosphere of the Capital club, and
in the Red room slow departing
twilight, penetrating with difficulty
heavy black masses Of tobacco smoke
was the only illumination. No one had
cared to press the electric button
Occasionally one of a dozen or more
glowing cigar ends seemed to awaken
from a reverie to beam brightly for a
moment-then relapse again like the
eye OF a drowsy tiger. There was no
sound in the room and scarcely a per.
ceptible movement, save now and
then finger fecked the ashes away
or hand removed weed from close
shut lips.
For several minutes thus-then the
deep-voiced cabinet secretary, with
dignified deliberation, resumed, "And
gentlemen, when all is said and done,
the entire situation may be briefly
summarized AS the general has ex-
planned, they have encroached upon
our northern boundary until barrier
OF armed men extends from the Paci-
tic to the Atlantic Our southern
boundary is a glittering line Of bayo-
nets from gulf to gulf. If we drive
back regiment we retreat to our
lines before a brigade"
"A corps, Mr.. Secretary, an entire
army corps" interposed the general.
| And" continued the secretary,
| their fleets protect their commerce
| in every harbor of the world. For
every torpedo boat we possess they
have cruiser, and for every Destroy
er over whose decks our flag floats a
battleship f1aunts their colors to the
breeze. They have naval stations
within so hours Of our most seques-
tered sea ports. They have invested
our Great Lakes. Our insular posses
sions we have coded to them, with
honor, indeed, but I cannot say, gen.
tlemen, without coercion-subtle,p per-
| haps, but still coercion.
| Lo Toon, their prime minister, is
exceedingly frank. 1T is not he says,
a matter Of conquest, but struggle
for existence. My people must have
breath-they are suffocating. We
have our fisheries at the very south
pole, and every foot of the bleak ST.
berian steppes yields it's quota of rice
or millet-nay, even though it needs
be rooted with glass to keep the earth
from strangling in it's frozen clutch
the sprouting seeds. There is no area
In all the western hemisphere, from
lce-bound- valleys of northmost bays
and rivers to lofty snow-capped Cor
dillera in the south, save what is &C.
cupied by these United States of
yours, but responds to the industry of
my people. And you have room,
room, room. You are encompassed.
You must see the inevitable.' This,
gentlemen, is the situation. We are
encompassed. Our navy is helpless,
Four army but barely holds at bay the
hordes upon our borders Our lines
of Notifications are problems which
cannot long remain unsolved. The
time when craftsmanship availed us
has long, long since gone by.
"Gentlemen," and the secretary's
voice was scarcely audible, II fear, l
greatly fear we are undone."
There was silence again and the
cigar ends glowed more iminously in
the deepening gloom. An onyx clock
on the mantel over closed fireplace
licked aggressively and the match
with which the secretary relighted his
cigar sputtered noisily.
"Mr. Secretary" The professors
Fpassionless voice sounded afar off,
but every eye, startled and new.
lighted, turned toward him. The Sec
rotary responded:
| "Professor!"
"S1nce it appears, Mr.. Secretary -
he calmly continued, that this disas-
ter which has been impending for so
long is about to fall upon and crush
us. Since it is evident from what you
say that the defense of our beloved
country has passed beyond the pow
ers Of it's natural agencies. Since dip
lomacy and force Of arms are alike
hopeless, may I not submit the propo.
sition that the defense of our nation
has entered the realms of science and
as humble disciple of truth volun.
teer my services in it's behalf. It
must still be war-most horrible
most hellish war-and God alone
knows how hate it and shrink from
it; but make the sacrifice gladly"
Il had forborn hoping, professor
and must still forbear." The secre
tary breathed deeply. .
The professor had arisen and
passed silently from the room and the
cigar ends cleaned brightly in the
direction of the half open door.
Lo Toon, the prime minister, sat in
state. Courtiers in silken flowing
gowns paused in their goings to anG
fro and clerks and scribes, low bent
at their writing, looked up expectant
ly. Lo Toon's face was expression
less as ever, but his ewes g1ittere1