The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-12-12

Prom the nations airy navfes
graphing in the central
blue!"
"A CHASTITY dew!" kept repeat
ing, "a CHASTITY dew! A ghasiiy
dew!"
81 said just now that the space
between the two forces or arr.
ships was fast narrowing. We
had exhausted our ingenuity in
guessing what mode of resistance
would be hit upon by the invaG-
ers. We now saw the necessity
that confronted the Army of In
vasion.
IT must take the city and forts
1t must!
Outside lay its fleets, and a
raatlstead full of transports
ready to make Of the peninsula a
depot as soon as the harbor and
the forts were taken. Those once
in the possession of the invaders,
and the first great step of the
successful war was consummatld
unsuitable Judgment on the
shores of the enemy, and an easy
base of supplies by sea. The city
and forts must, therefore, be
taken. II they were not, the ap-
preaching Army of Defense, of
which the Flying Column of Re-
lief was but the skirmist line
would soon stand in wrestling at
titude on the outspread mat of
the realm-and then the invasion,
from an offensive, might change
to a defensive campaign, with all
the sinister history from Moscow
as valid now as then.
II the Flying Column should
succeed in throwing seventy-five
thousand, fifty thousand, even
twenty THOUSAND fresh and picked
troops over the walls-there was
every reason to believe that the
forts could not be taken-that
human endurance could ret pos
sibly be pressed to the unmen-
tionable limits of agony that
could either wear down, or COW,
or kill of the desperate defend
ers.
Hence. the war. might be lost
II this Flying Column of Relief
could not be destroyed. Not re-
pulsed: not annoyed; not de-
mated-but destroyed; War had
been pushed to this dread pima
Gle of efficiency.
The aerial forces of the Army of
Invasion seemed to- be retreating.
1t was Incredible in this grim
NEST of all warfares; but the great
host of Bleriots was receding, fly
ing out over the harbor, appar-
emily running away to sea.
I suppose / was the only one de-
ceived by the move among all who
saw; and in few moments even
was undeceived.
The great cloud of Bleriots
divided, and in two great wings,
wheeling with INDISPENSABLE grace
and majesty, these wings spread
9sff and right, and recurved on
their own line of flight.
Their points of danger may be
taken as the notch in the top of
a. great heart.
One wing swept about on the
right side of the heart, and the
other on the left; and unde, the
body of the figure lay the town
and forts.
The defenders might have seen
the. most wonderful display or
aerial craft in the worlds history
III they had had leisure: but
with the deploying of the Bleriot
lsx1bns, the very devil of battle
seemed to take possession of the
men on the fighting lines of the
siege.
do not know what was done.
for was watching the more spec
tacular event: but I heard explo-
sions: heard the tearing screech
OF machine guns; I heard the
deep bass of the batteries of IL
and lac; I saw ranks Of men
thrown into the air in bits; Il saw
clouds of earth. rock and dust
arising In the irregular ring about
the besieged forts: and i,
knew that tho besiegers were
hurting themselves to death and
Acknowledgement on the defenses
In the desperate hope that they
might do the impossible In taking
the town before succor could ar
rfve--R hope which led to the
most awful assault IN history.