Evening star., 1915-03-28


full, equally soft. equally tranquil
Yet even as the people of America
were taking up the days work. under
that soft. tranquil sea a message was
darting through the the incrusted
cables that swept away all peace
Before noon. from sea. to sea ana troin
lakes to gulf. from the valley OF tht
Hudson to the sierras Of the Rockies
from Jupiter inlet to the Philippines
ran the silent alarm of the telegraph
that the great coalition had declared
war,
Forty-eight hours later the combined
battle feet of the four nations put TO
sea with it's army transports, bound
for the American coast.
The United States learned of IT'S De,
parture before its rear guard had well
cleared the land The news did not
come from American spies. IT came
from the coalition itself.
War, the chameleon. a 5 Clausewltz
called it. was presenting a new aspect
of it's unexpected phases. Not Il cable
had been cut following the declaration
of war: and now the submarine cables
and the wireless began to bring Of
fetal news from the enemy-news ad-
dressed not to the American govern
ment, but to the American people.
1t was news that told of an invul-
nerable feet carrying more than
thousand rifled cannon of the largest
caliber ever borne by ships in all the
world 1t told OF enough battleships
alone tand named them, to match the
republics fleet with dreadnausht for
every effective American ship of any
kinds ... ....
Clever" said the Secretary of State
to the President 1T is terrorism"
Don't you think that you'd better re-
consider your idea of letting this go
through?'' asked the Secretary of War
Its pretty dangerous stuff
ITS the nations war. answered the
the guise of terrorism? Do you know IN
whose hands I'm going to leave that
question:?
Il can't guess" said the Secretary.
In the hands of the newspapers" re-
piled the President.
The newspapers did not require to be
told that the purpose of this novel
news service from the enemy was ter
rorism.
They answered terrorism by printing
the news.
Then the seacoast cities began to call
to Washington. BY telegraph and tele-
phone they demanded protection. 1t
was chorus from Maine to Georgia.
Into the White House thronged the
congressman.
Defend US. Defend our people, De-
fend our towns said they
We cannot do it, said the chief of
staff NO wit of man can guess at
what point of many hundred miles the
enemy Will strike. He may land on the
New Jersey coast to take Philadelphia
He may land on Long Island to march
at New York. He may strike al Boston
He may land between Boston and New
York. on the Rhode Island or Massa-
chusetts coasts, and keep us guessing
whether he'll turn west to New York
or east TO Boston. He may even strike
Tor both at once, from there.
Then why not put men into each
place to protect it?" demanded con-
gressman Are these great cities to
be left wide open?"
You know how many regulars we've
got Do you know how many effective
men We've pulled together by calling
out those eastern divisions OF organized
militia? Their enrolled strength is 50,-
900 men. Their actual active strength
as shown by attendance figures has
been only about 80 per cent OF that: but
We were lucky: This danger has
brought out all. probably, that were
able to come. Still, there are less
than 10000 men: and not quite half Of
ehose nave Hdd sood Held training. We
need them. We need them so badly
that We're putting them all in the first
line. But it's little bit Iike-welI, it's
murder
Then you mean to say The con-
gresham was aghast
Il mean TO say answered the chief
OF staff. with a set face that the army
IS gong to take what it has and do its
pest But it's going to do it in it's own
way No enemy will dream of landing
an invading army unless it is decisive
~. oVerpow erlngly superior to our own
Now, congressman, the only way for
an inferior army to accomplish any-
thlng is to refuse battle until the
chances are as favorable as they can
be made The inferior force must re-
tire before superior. II must force
the invader to follow TIL he is weak
ened by steadily lengthening lines of
communications. His difficulties of food
and ammunition transport grow He
becomes involved in strange terrain
Last but not least, he gets more and
more deeply into d land filled with ;.
hostile population. But if We must de-
fend specific place at all hazards
then we must stand and give battle
well it will be only one battle"
You mean"
Il mean that such a battle is decided
already 1t was decided years ago
When the country refused to PREPARE
Good God. man The congressman
Hipca HIS loTtnedd Win q trembling.
fat hand. Il can't go back and tell
my people THAI
You'd better not said the general.
grimly.
The unhappy man, and other unhappy
men like him. went back to their con-
stituenales knowing that now no cam
paign oratory would serve Soften the
news they must. and would; but they
We're the bearers of i'll tidings, and
they knew what comes to these
The stricken cities heard From all
silver. there arose cry Men shook
their fists and cursed the machinery of
politics that had worked through the
blind years to hinder. to deceive and
to waste. The pork barrel ceased all
at once to be the great American Joke
Throw men into our harhor de
lenses cried the cities of the coast.
Hold them. Hold them
We have 900 trained regulars and
5000 militia more or less experienced
to handle these complex giants"
answered the army. implacably There
are LISA guns and mortars to handle
1t leaves no men to defend the works
To throw the mobile army or any part
of il into the defenses for mere pro-
lection is only to lock them up The
mobile army must defend the defenses
from the outside. II it cannot do it
they falls
where is the mobile arnay.' cried
the cities. Send ii here" clamored
each city.
There was no reply Somewhere hs