The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-04-24

shOrn, n the crops, IN WHICH Aay JIG
riches Of peace, implanted. Every
where was the growing din Of an
archy and the stern clangor of a A
people who had never tamely bowed
a head beneath q yoke, o rebelled
at just ruling, found themselves dis
traught in the whir1ing current OF UNI
reasonable tides which carried them
out to they knew not what.
A tame yielding of territory over
which their flag had once flown, an
equally passive surrender Of islands
which had come to them OF their own
volition, seeking in the spread OF the
eagles wings the shadows Of security,
and, last Of all, as a crowning climax
Of folly, the sending Of warships to
neutral ports! From east to west, as
the oceans run, from the border line
Of the north to that Of the south, there
swept over the great waiting nation q
call to arms. No dam built by mortal
man could have stemmed that rising
tide of indignation saw the one that
was erected by the administration n
the hours of its stress. News of It
came unheralded as had all the
ominous stories preceding it.
Even at the moment when an over
throw of the governing power at
Washington seemed imminent, there
flashed across the wires from gov
ernor to governor the quick and In
sistent demand for fighting men. In
every armory was heard the resound-
ing clash of rifles. A hundred thou
sand men, drilled for the emergencies
Of q country's need, sprang to their
weapons like tensely strung warriors
of old awaiting the pretor's command
to charge. A country, which through
days of defeat had seemingly slept,
sprang into the harness of strife, as II
electrified by the God Of Battles. Sim
ultaneously with the ordering out
of all National Guardsmen and 8
further call for volunteers, which re-
ceived instant response, every railway
traversing the country was requisl-
toned by the wal department.
Yet, in all this turmoil the destina-
ton of this suddenly modified and
s%plendidly powerful army remained q
secret. In vain the press of the coun-
try and its most influential citizens de-,
manded knowledge; but not till the
day when from all directions swarms
of armed men sailed forth, was This
information given. And as If black
ened by a scourge of locusts, the
Canadas awakened one morning to
find that along 5000 miles of border
land were spread a line of soldiers, the
most singular line of repulse e
stretched between nations. It was n
of accommodation.
Not even the commanding officers
as they took their stations knew the
why's or wherefores of this most re-
markable move, although their in
structions were of the simplest, and
were that under no circumstances
were there to be acts of unfriendliness
nor, even under %provocation, move
ments of aggression. They were to
stand as an insurmountable barrier
between the United States and the
dominion, prohibiting traffic, passage,
and communication, and nothing more.
No man might cross the border, and
wires, which in days of peace carried
from one country to another the news
of the day, were cut and torn from
their poles as II no further word
might ever be transmitted through
them.
Nor was this all. Wherever q cable
touched on all the outer edges of this
great land might be found soldiers in
charge. Wireless telegraph stations
were abruptly closed, prohibiting
the use even of the air itself. Procla-
nations were issued that instructions
had been given for the perforation of
any airships attempting outside COM
%munication, and the penalty of instant
death was threatened any aeronaut
who disobeyed this command.
From every seaport vessels of all
nations, friendly or unfriendly, were
summarily excluded. Protests from
captains and from companies were
ignored. The United States was sud-
denly blockading not only Its own
means of communication, but sealing
its ports as we'll. No message might
be carried in or out, and, as If fearing
also for it's southern border line, the
soldiers Of the regular army were
placed there. The vessels Of the navy
which were In the home waters Of the
Atlantic were put on patrol duty,
steam1ng up and down the eastern
coast with the regularity of police
men on their beats. To the world at
large the United States of America
might have been. The tabled
Atlantis of old could have disappeared
no more completely nor been cut of
more effectually from intercourse with
outside mankind than was the great
American nation. -" e
Whatever criticism and surprise had
been caused among other powers by
the abandonment of the Philippines
and the Hawaiian islands was out
done by this latest move Never be.
fore in the worlds history had a ma
ton enforced complete isolation upon
itself, Withdrawing within its shell
as does q turtle when assailed. Hith-
| erto It had been the custom of a peo.