The Bottineau courant., 1909-02-19
CHAPTER VII.
The MISSING Fleet,


Japan, grown arrogant through easy
success and confident Of the suprem'
Acy of her navy, cast aside the cloak
of secrecy and boldly announced her
intention to attack the seaport cities
of the western coast of America. No
word had come from Seigo to bid her
pause The most formidable armada
that ever sailed the seas, attended by
lighters that were to provide coal, and
accompanied by transports conveying
an army of men, steamed away to the
land Of easy conquest. In the hope Of
striking terror into the hearts Of those
they would subdue, the Japanese an
nOunced their purpose, and gave
somewhat exaggerated account Of the
forces being sent. The newspapers
of the world teemed with stories of
the sailing of this monster fleet, told
how all Japan had shouted "Banzai!"
described the flower garanded maids
who sang gay songs, and pictured the
remarkable podesty and valor Of the
admirals in command.
In some quarters Of the globe great
sympathy was expressed for the
United States, which apparently had
no chance whatever in such an un-
equal contest, and was foredoomed to
calamity and dissolution. The wise
acres Of European powers rose as
unit and told how for more than so
years it had been repeatedly pointed
out that the oversee colossus was
facing destruction through neglect of
her navy. Monarchical adherents saw
deeper into the cause Of nations
obliteration, asserting that the proof
had again been given to the world
that q republican form of government
was one which, by its very lack of
cohesion and unwieldiness, could not
exist.
Other advanced thinkers, who
looked far into the future, began dis.
cussion as to the final outcome, what
partition would be made of the con-
quered territory, and whether Japan
would hold it as q colony for her own
surplus population under regulation
colonial gubernation. English writer's
expressed grave doubts as to Japan's
ability to conduct colonies successful
ly, and were rather of the opinion that
the country should be given to Great
Britain whose remarkable success in
India and elsewhere had made her the
fountainhead in this branch of gov
ernment. New maps Of the world were
published in the most progressive
periodicals, and souvenir buttons were
sold in the streets of Tokyo depicting
a very valiant little Japanese soldier
kicking Uncle Sam into the sea aNI
taking possession of his land. All TIE
world bowed down to do honor TO th"
brave little brown men, and many
aggressive powers regretted that they
had not been the first to think of
taking possession of the United States,
which their statesmen sometimes
spoke of as being a nice little country
aud capable under reasonable rule Of
becoming quite place.
The nation under discussion re-
NAMED in the same astounding cOndi-
tion of silence and inaction. At first
1t had seemed that a clash along the
Canadian border was inevitable. The
massing Of such great bodies Of troops
in such Z position appeared almost a
threat. and Gr"at Britain in the first
instance he-an hurredly concentrat-
Ing forces at points where they would
be available in case Of attack; but
as day after day passed with no for
ward move and no action save that of
preventing the passage of any person
or the transmission of any communi-
cation alarm gave way to bewilder.
ment Canadian secret service men
who succeeded in entering the camps
of the soldiers soon returned to report
that apparently the troops knew no
more of the reason for their being Sta
toned there than did the world at
large.
In the meantime there gathered into
the sounds, bays and harbors of for
eign ports American vessels of war,
which came to anchor and remained.
0u hoard these ships were the most