Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-04-25
THE YELLOW
PERIL
by JOHN FORBES

An oppressive gloom pervaded the
atmosphere of the Capital club. and
In the Red room slow departing
twilight. penetrating with diiiieulty
heavy black masses OF tobacco smoke.
was the only illumination. No one had
cared to press thA electric button.
Occasionally one OF u dozen or more
glowing cigar ends seemed 10 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 a 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 a barrier
OF armed men extends from the PACT
fic, to the Atlantic. Our southern
boundary is glittering line OF bayo-
nets from gulf to gulf II We drive
back regiment We retreat to our
lines before 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 a cruiser and for every destroy
err over whose decks our flag floats a
battleship flaunts 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 | cannot say. gen.
tlemen. without coercion--subtle, 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 81
berian steppes yields its quota of rice
or millet-nay, even though it needs
be rooted with glass to keep the earth
from strangling in its frozen clutch
the sprouting seeds. There is no area
In all the western hemisphere, from
ice-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.
our 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 statesmanship awaited us
has long, long since gone by.
Gentlemen" and the secretary's
voice was scarcely audible, Il fear,
greatly fear we are undone."
There was silence agaia and the
cigar ends glowed more inrinously in
the deepening gloom. An onyx clock
on the mante1 over a closed fireplace
licked aggressively and the match
with which the secretary religFited his
cigar sputtered noisily.
Mr. Secretary" The professors
passionless voice sounded afar OF,
but every eye, startled and new
lighted, turned toward him. The Sec
rotary responded:
"ProfessDr!"
Since 1T appears, Mr.. Secretary
he calmly continued, that this disas-
ter which has been impending for 20
long is about to- fall upon and crush
us. Since IT Is evident from what yog
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 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 its behalf 1t
| must still be war-most horrible,
most hellish war-and God alone
knows how hate 1t and, shrink from
It; but make the sacrifice gladly"
81 had forborn hoping, professor
and must still forbear." The secre
tary breathed deeply.
The professor had arisen ant
passed silently from the room and the
cigar ends cleaned brightly in thu
direction of the half open door.
Lo Toon, the prime minister, sat
state. Courtiers in silken flowiM
gowns paused in their goings to am
fro and clerks and scribes, low ben
at their writing. looked up expectan1
ly 10 Toon's face was expression
less as ever, but his eyes glittere
HI perhaps more than usual, and hi