The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-05-22

CHAPTER w.
The Harness Of War.

the land, giving promise OF Weditn Oh
bloom and prodigality Of harvest, but
the pillow stood idle and rusted in the
waiting fields, the meadows went IN
shorn. and the crops. IN which lay the
riches of peace. implanted. Every
where was the growing din Of an
archy and the stern clingor Of war. A
people who had never tamely bowed
a bead beneath . yol.e. nor rehelled
at Just ruling. round themselves dis
traught In the whirlins current of IN
reasonable tides which carried them
out 10 they knew not what.
A tame yielding OF territory over
which their Dag had once flown. an
equally passive surreader OF Islands
which had come TO them OF their OWE
volition, seeking In the spread Of the
eagles wings the shadows of security.
and, last of all. as a browning Gilman
of foltr, the sending Of warships to
neutral ports! From east to west. as
the OCEANS run, from the border line
of the north 10 that OF the south. there
swept over the great waiting nation a
call to arms. No dam built by mortal
man could have stemmed that rising
tide OF indignation save the one that
was erected by the administration in
the hours Of its stress. News Of IL
came unheralded as had all the
ominous stories preceding II.
Even at the moment when an over
throw Of the governing power at
Washington seemed imminent. there
fashei across the wires from gov
ernor 10 governor the quick and in.
sistept demand for fighting men In
every armory was heard the resound-
ing clash OF rides. A hundred thou
sand men. drilled for the emergencies
Of a country's need. sprang 70 thar
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
further call for volunteers, which re-
ceived instant response. every railway
traversing the country was requisi-
toned by the war department
Yet, in all this turmoil the destina-
ton OF this suddenly modified and
splendidly powerful army remained a
secret. In vain the press of the coun-
try and its most influential citizens de
manded knowledge: but not till the
day ,rhon from oil Alterations cUarmg
OF armed men sailed forth, was this
information given. And as II black
ened by a scourge OF locusts. the
Canadas awakened one morning TO
find that along 5000 miles OF border
land we're spread line OF soldiers, the
most singular line OF repulse ever
stretched between nations. 1t was one
Of accommodation.
Not even the commanding officers
as they took their stations knew the
why's OF wherefores OF this most re
markable move. although their In
structions were OF the simplest, and
were that under no circumstances
we're there TO be acts OF unfriendliness
nor, even under provocation, move
ments Of aggression. They were 10
stand as an insurmountable barrier
between the United States and the
dominion, prohibiting trafic, 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 a 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 we're 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 aeronaui
who disobeyed this command.
From every seaport vessels Of all
nations. friendly or mfTiendly. were
summarily excluded. Protests from
captains and from companies were
ignored. The United States was sud
denly blockading not only It's own
means of communication, but sealing
its ports as well. No message might
be carried In or out, and. as II 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,
steaming up and down the eastern
coast with the regularity Of police
men on their beats. To the world al
large the United States Of America
might never have been. The tabled
Atlantis Of old could have disappeared
no more completely nor been cut on
more e6eotually from intercourse with
outside mankind than was the great
American nation.
Whatever criticism and surprise had
been caused among other powers by
Tie abandonment Of the Philippines
and the Hawaiian islands was out