The Bottineau courant., 1909-02-19

tndt were ever collected IN nuIlS. Ane
last orders any of them had received
had been made so positive so plain
and unequivocal, that they had no
choice other than to obey They had
| been commanded to gain these neutral
| berths and under no circumstances to
| leave them. They were not even per-
| mitted to assume the slate color which
| betokens war on the waters, and
| therefore retained their dress of i'm
maculate white. They, too, seemed
under the ban, and, like war dogs in
leash, strained impotently for action.
Nor was there an officer in all these
idle and scattered ships who did not
wish himself on the waves of the Pa
cific, across which the enemys fleet
was now forging.
The time advanced until the Japan
ese warships were due to arrive at
Honolulu, where they were to report
coal and prepare for the final struggle.
The cable between Hawaii and Japan,
now in possession of the mikados
operators, continued its daily reports
Of most favorable weather; but still
no squadron hove in sight.
One day, two days, and three, p: 0snk
before Japan felt anxiety or the wcr.
began it's discussion as to the ca,i;
Of the long delay. Then, when be
fleet was more than a week overd"'
it became almost a certainty .Gat
some disaster had overtaker it, al
though from no section of :ne sea had
there been typhOOn r5pOrted or any,
thing but excellent barometric condi-
tions. Ten days passed in this same
way, and on the last the report from
Honolulu was identical with that
which had been made on all those
previous: Nothing in sight, and moth.
ing arrived"
Once more the world stood in ex.
pectancy, and vainly sought the So
luton for the latest enigma. Storms
were eliminated; for no tempest could
have wiped out such a magnificent
body of ships so effectually as to leave
none to bear the sad tidings to the
nearest port. And then, as full reali-
cation of what must have happened
dawned upon the watching powers, a
shudder Of dread passed through them
all. 1t was plain that America had
some new and terrific naval strength,
some unheard of monster of the deep,
that gave it the mastery of the seas
| The evolution Of submarines had been
/ rapid; but no one had knowledge of q
craft that could steam such distance
wn,11d havo hoon nococcorv fn in
tercept the Japanese before they
reached Honolulu. engage them and
either destroy them completely or cap
ture and convey them to an American
port.
1t must have been total destruction,
the world argued, because in case Of
capture great battle ships themselves
would scarcely have been able to
make the complete trip to a Pacific
coast on the supply of coal they car
ried in their bunkers. Forced drafts
required great expenditure of fuel,
and never at any time had there been
any other intention than of replenisn-
that a civilized nation should have
chosen deliberately to exterminate it's
enemies by wholesale; and yet there
was no other conclusion tenable.
How terrific must have been that
onslaught, coming up out of the wa
ters of the sea, and how remorselessly
executed! All losses of life in previ-
Gus naval engagements sank into in
significance when compared with this
sudden and swift obliteration of
| fleet of warships, transports and col.
| liers. 1t would be nearly impossible
to spare lives in such a battle, and
it seemed a certainty that the great
steel monsters that had sailed away
to easy conquest had become mere
metal collins for those who manned
them, and were now resting some
where on the floor of the needless Pa.
cific. If such was the case, it was
time the United States ceased to ex.
list as nation, when peopled by in
human monsters who calmly slew
their adversaries when threatened.
Japan was left a helpless little is
land in the sea, without ships to as
sail an enemy or to defend herself
Shorn of power and pride, she was
plunged as deeply in mourning as
only few weeks before she had been
exalted in glory. She plaintively b.
walled the barbarities of her enemy
and proudly pointed to her own higl
state Of civilization, which made such
warfare impossible. She asserted
that had she possessed such monsters
of destruction as were evidently owned
by the United States, she would have
scorned to use them without notify.
ing the whole world of her power. It
was a country Of desolation.
There was hardly prominent home
In Japan which had not contributed
some member of it's family to that
splendid navy which had sailed SO
proudly away when early June was
spreading it's flowers over the empire
now there were sobs of bereavement
and woe.
| Across the ancient lands of tire