davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1916-10-15
REAR ADMIRAL FISKE ELL WHAT VISIT OF U53 Pr

whole rapidly moving and enormous
mass Of American daily life would re-
ceive a knockout blow.
II is true hat wars have happened
in the past IN which there mas been a
blockade OF our coast more or .ess
complete. and nc eNtraPrdinary suffer-
ing has been occasioned; but In all
cases peace was declared before the
suffering produced had become very
acute. Furthermore. the complicated
conditions OF trade which nov exist
existed before. We were not so
dependent hen as now on the artif-
cial accessories OF living.
A blockade of any of our great East
ern ports would entail many indirect
disasters. The sudden stoppage Of our
sea trade. which Of course includes our
coast trade. by even a partial blockade
Of our ports would practically change
all the conditions under which we now
live. Hardly a single organization in
the country would fail to he affected
by II. This condition would last as
long as the blockade lasted. and would
create a disorder that could only be
corrected by the raising Of the block
ade.
II is easy TO see. therefore. that the
blookadins Of our principal ports would
he n disaster Inferior to the disaster OF
actual invasion only Even the disas-
ter Of the total destruction Of our feet
by an enemy fleet would only have the
direct result hat the people OF the
country would have fewer ships 10
support and fewer men to pay, The
loss OF the fleet and the men would not
ne Of itself an immediate Joss to the
country. but rather a gain. The loss
The sun., 1916-10-15
THE LATE EMPERoR r1ENELIK"

During the coure Of Menelek's
reign Princess Zeoditu lost her 10.
band and after two or three years VI
widuwhoud she married ftas Tor Gen.
erAI) Gugsa. the favoritc nephew Of
Menelek's masterful consort. the late
Empress Taitu He MAS the con OF
Taitu's brother. the Ras and Prince
VOLTA
Taitu loved her nephew as II he had
been her W offspring and after his
marriage to Prircess Zeuditu became
deeply attached to the latter. In fact.
n" princess became the constant COM.
panion and the most trusted confdant
Of her stepmother. who was al the
same time her husbands aunt. She
shared all the late Empress's views.
prejudice. and aspirations and became
imburd with all her policies.
Toward the latter part Of Menelek's
reign Empress Taitu'. Influence over
Menelek waned considerably. She
strongly disapproveJ II his leanines
toward the various foreign Powers in
s.sting hat they were e~ndangering
the Independence OF the nation. Above
all, she wac strongly preJudiced
lgalns; the Italians. is regarded "a
having been the real author OF the
savage and prolonged war OF Abyss
sinia against the Italians. and Is thought
to have resented the conclusion Of the
treaty which brought the hostil!ties
between the two nations to "A close.
During a severe illness Of Menelck
she succWeded in securing control OF
the Government, as regent and ruled
the country for q couple OF years. In
conjunction with her s~tepdaughter.
Princess Zeoditu. and her nephew. Rns
Gursa with a great deal of skill and
ability. incidentally taking advantage
OF the situation to drive away all Ger
man doctors and other agents OF the
Kaiser OF n Kind and another from
the court Of Add!s-Abeha Then Meme
lex managed 10 recover his health SUI
nclently to sumo for a brief spell the
rcirs OF power. and resentine what
had been achieved by Empress Taitu
and fearing that she would undo all
The sun., 1916-10-15

national business organizations would
produce an effect wherever the mall
and telegraph so.
The organizations dealing with for
eign commerce In every great nation
are so excellent and so precise that
the business system by which any ma
ton holds its international trade Is like
a machine. In fact. II Is a machine.
with all the faults Of a machine.
One Of the chief faults of a ma
chine Is the serious disturbance that
may be produced 10y a cause seemingly
trivial. Such Is the cast with the
machine which the commerce OF every
nation comprises. Everyday expert
ence confirms this. order reigns so
long as the steamers come and so
with regularity. so long as the money
comes in at the proper intervals and Is
distributed where II ought to go and
so long as the people continue to live
their habltual lives.
Consider. however. what would hap
pen Ii the coming and going OF all tho
steamers were suddenly stopped by a
blockade. II may or II may not be
true that In a great country like the
United states no foreign trade L. really
necessary. II may be true that the
people OF the United States would be
lust as happy II they had no foreign
trade. even II they were not SO rich.
But the United States has a foreign
trade. and in case OF blockade this
would be stopped with a jerk. and
there would follow q chaotic condition
which cannot be described, because
chaos cannot be described. Hundreds
Of thousands OF people would be
thrown out OF employment. and the
The sun., 1916-10-15

vigorous outside commerce would be
commercially smothered.
To give q rough idea OF the possible
effects OF a blockade on u coasts.
consider the fact that u exports last
year were valued AT more than $1,000
900 900. which means that goods to this
amount were sold and paid for either
In money or Its equivalent. most OF II
ultimately going as wages for labor.
No blockade OF course could stop all
OF this. but IL seems probable that II
could stop half OF II after our feet was
destroyed by tho enemy. II would
seem. therefore. that the primary use
for our navy will probably be to pre-
vent blockade. II must be understood
that n blockade does not require a dec
laration OF war or entail the costly OPP
erations OF invasion. 4 blockade,
though slower In its effects than ac-
tual invasion. is practically as efica-
cious In the end. and II Is much .ess
expensive. II Is cheaper and easier.
The fact that the coast OF the United
States Is so long Is an argument often
used TO show that II would be impossi-
BILE to blockade il. II Is not at all nee
essary. however. TO blockade tho en-
tire coast OF the United States 10 ere
ate a condition OF distress such as has
Just been pointed out.
II would suffice to blockade Boston.
New York. the Delaware. the Chesa-
peake and the Gull. say. with forty
ships. The difficulties and risks Of run
ming such a blockade. In defiance OF
the present increased power and &C.
curacy Of modern gunnery. the search
lights. the wireless telegraph and the
aeroplane. would be numerous and
The sun., 1916-10-15
She Popular With
Her People. Who
Regard the Eleva.
ton Of the En-
press as the Right.
ing of a Great
Wrong

had rendered himself guilty OF
wicked. wholly unlawful and even
sacrilegious act In appointing Ms
grandson Jes ssh ~ his successor after
swearing upon the Gospels and 81
everything that the A~byssinians Dc
holy to vest the succession to hie
throne in his daughter, Princess
Zeuditu. and her husband. Prince Aria,
the son and heir of Negus John.
Jeassu has ever since his success
sion beer considered in the light Of Q
usurper, and Zeoditu ~ the rightful
heir to the imperial throne. not only
a. the daughter Of her fathers eldest
daughter-he had no son-but also %
the heir to>the rights Of her frst hus-
band. Prince Aria. o Of Negus Jo.
names.
II Jeassu's brain had not been b.
fuddled with drink II he had .
less reckless. he might have perceived
a warning Of coming danger In the
popular satisfaction displayed over the
death, attributed TO poison, last spring
OF one Of the principal ecclesiastical
dignitarlcs Of the empire. Of h name
Of Matheos. the only n who had been
willing to make himself a party %
Menelek's action In changing the sue.
cession Of the crown. At he time Of
the proclamation Of Jeaesu a. hell
Matheos figured At the ceremony. and
read the following decree Of Meneisk:
III any one should be found 20
bold u to say We will not obey Jeassu
and viii. throw the kingdom into die.
order. may the malediction Incurred
by Judas. may the anathems Judged
against Arius. fall upon him. May the
land abjure him who disobeys my
word. INT may q black dog be born to
him for q son. Know all Of you whom
! have raised to dignity. know all Of
you. great and small. that ! curse all
Of you who shall. dieobey me. and who
after my death do not follow my
grandson Jeassu. And finally to 70.
move all danger lest my grandson
Jeassu and his guardian the Ras
Tassamma should do e. VII and depart
from my ways and from your will,
know also that sgains, both ! hurl
this same curse In case they should
betray their trust"
After reading this document Matheos
solemnly mathematical all those who
might presume to ignore the supreme
will Of the Emperor But from that
time on Matheos was n marked man.
Hh fellow ec~clesiastics stunned him,
while the lesser clergy avoided in every
possible way paying him the CUSTOM
ary homage. lie was looked upon by
the clergy II laity alike as one who
had not been true to the obligations
OF his sacred office. lie was subjected
to virtual ostracism. and his death. in
stead Of exciting sorrow and the usual
manifestations Of grief, was received
with unconcealed satisfaction by the
public. Nor did he receive the honors
at his funeral due TO a man Of his
rank in the church.
What the re!gn Of Empress Zeoditu
will be like Il is Difficult, to say witt
any degree OF precision. Perhaps the
best indications which can be given
may be found In q very brief review Of
tConnnued on Fourth Pd0e.)
The sun., 1916-10-15

n Empress Zeoditu dis,ikes foreigners
In general she shares the positive
hatred entertained by her aunt, the
late Empress Taitu. for everything
Teuton.
Emperor Jeaasu's deposition and the
elevation OF Emprese Z-vditu u the
throne In his stead are regarded by
the Abyssinian people Of every class
In the light Of the reparation Of "A
great wrong. The selectsri by the late
Emperor Mcnelck Of his grandson
Jeassu as his successor was ex-
trcmely unpopular. for II constituted
a violation OF tn. most solemn pledges
made by the late Negus at the time of
the death Of the Emperor Theodore.
near half a century ago.
On that occasion both Johannes.
King Of Tigre, and Menelek. king OF
Shea. were candidates for the imperial
throne Of Ethiopia. After much ma
npuvring an agreement was con
cluded between the two. according to
the terms OF which Menelek ave way
to Johannes on the understanding that
the latter would proclaim him as his
successor. At the same time II was
agreed thSt Zeoditu. the daughter Of
Menelek Icy his first wife. should
marry Prince Aria. the son Of Emper-
or Johannes. also known as the Negus
John. and that on Menelek's death he
should bequeath the imperial throne
TO his own daughter ard to her hus-
band. Prince Aria. son OF Nrgus John.
This convention WAS ratified 10y all
the great Eas, or military cIleftains.
and by rulers OF the vassal States OF
Abyssinia, as well as by the Abuna
or Primate. and the principal ecclesi-
astical dignitaries OF Any ssinia on the
Gospels and 1t received the approba-
ton Of the entire Abyssinian peo le
On the death Of Johannes. who fell
lighting bravely in the batle OF
Metemma AGAINST the Sudan dervishcr
In Ma arch. 1859. Meaelek succeeded. as
arranged. to the imperial throne. pro-
claiming his daughter Zeoditu and her
husband. Prince Aria, the son OF Negus
John. as his successors.
The sun., 1916-10-15

the more rich and the other the more
POWERFUL. In other words. the mos4
pregnant cause OF war Is the combina.
ton OF conflicting interests with dis.
rarity in power. We must realize that
|, Is no, enough TO consider the sit
ton as Il Is now between US and any
given foreign Power. but that Il 10
necessary to look at least as many
years ahead as II will take to get ready
TO meet that foreign Power.
Let us take any foreign Power and
call that Power y. How long would 10
tax us to get ready to meet y? Loe
US say ten years. question: Are We
sure that We shall remain at peace
with y for ten years?
THIS a only be answered ny the
mai SO wise that he knows what the
situation ana tne com"
nercial SITUATION VIII Dc ten years
hence. i|et hi'h SPEAK
foho"'n the PROCEDURE tnat many
great ha''o"s nave 'o''o"eu III t"e
past u "ouio MOI De an
'"ins TOT ven ,rea' nr''dlh' our neeT.
ef' .h'ei"a''o""' 'e'd'',c' s"c Sa~ u
f~raou"Hy surPass'hs her IN com"e3'
c'ai strength 10 ena''e"te US "h''e our
navy was "eaN' 'e'n'''eis 10 "ers' a"o
crush US ~ ""S o''en oeeh saio 'nas
urea' bi'U'ih eou'o not anoro 10 20 u
war WIN us oecnuSe SO 'nany OF neI
eo"'"ie'eial "''''es's "ou'o e"''er ~
.ou'Se 'neS "ou'o sune' TOT Wits
bu' commercial ",'eS's su"e' W
'onhn'eIe'a' Wars' anu se' eoN"n'e1c'es
VAS arc ea'.ieo ." ''epue"''' ~ '0'
en''eHs'y. u"''' ono party Ut inc o'heT
u YIN
JUS NV" "'e"' ''''a" uocS not
"'sn W .'u," 10 vs. eer'n'n' now.
w. 'n"' Wv e" ~ " certain 'n"'
s's soun' " "e,
N' Nv WE p""er.u'
anu IA oo'u wv 'n'N '"n".
w. :" wa $50 wv" a''..eo
The sun., 1916-10-15
GENERAL VIEW OF iNPE RiALj
PALACE. ADDS a BA6A {

officers, including their generalissimo.
Prince Hassan. the soldier son OF khe-
dive Tsmail and q younger brother Of
the present Sultan of Egypt. had
crosses branded with hot rons on their
right hands. That was why Prince
Hassan. who was a graduate Of the
University OF oxford. was never after
ward seen with his right hand I'M
g.oved.
There IL an old tradition in Arabia
that Islam will cease TO exist when the
AbySsinians succeed in selling and
destroying the holy cities OF Mecca
and Medina. while In Abyssinia II is
believed hat the downfall Of the IA
ton and It's disappearance as such will
be brought about by a Moslem Inva-
sion. Tha, Is why there II such
hatred. born Of fear as TO what fate
may have In store. between the Abys-
sinians on the one hand and the
Moslems. especially the fanatic Mos
lens OF Arabia, or the other. And tina;
is why the Abysslnians are unable &c
forgive or forget that their young
Emperor Jeassu, now deposed, Is the
The sun., 1916-10-15

great and cause high insurance rates.
II MAY bc objected that this blockad'
ing Of even a defenceless would
cost the blckading country a great
deal Of money because OF the loss OF
trade with that country. or course:
but war expenses are to be expected.
and the blockade would be far moro
expensive to the ~blockaded country.
which would be- compelled to yield in
the end not only because Of the block
AIDE itself but because Of the pressure
Of neutral countries.
O: course. the longer We held out
the greater the indemnity we should
have to pay. The expense Of blockad-
ing. therefore. would be merely a
! profitable investment for the block
ader.
II Is true. OF course, that actual IN
vasion OF a country from the sea
would be a greater disaster than
blockade. and danger from invasion
has been the reason given by Great
great navy. and II Is also true that In
the minds Of many people the primary
reason for a navy has been for de-
renee against INVASION,
But why should an enemy take the
trouble to invade the United States
when II would be so much easier and
cheaper TO establish n blockade of Jul
coast? A blockade would In the end
accomplish everything that al enemy
could desire. especially II II were E n
livened by the occasional dropping OF
thousand pound shells into Wall Street
and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
One Of the suggestions which the
incident OF the U-53 has presented "a
US is the many uses 10 which a navy
can he put. II can be put. like any
other weapon to any use wh!ch cir
cumstances indicate. For Instance. the
N~ortherners In the civil war used the
navy not TO prevent blockade but to
make blockade: the japanese used
the navy to cover the transportation
uf their armies &c M%anchuria and Corea
and Great Britain has always used hei
navy I protect her trade routes.
A tavorite statement for the uses
OF a navy has been generally expressed
In the phrase command OF the seas.
But clearly this phrase does not cove,
the whole case. for the cas- that tn,
U-63 was doing something useful FOL
her Government, and yet she did no
have command OF the seas"
There are some who believe that th'
probability Of our becoming involved
In a war with a great naval nation Il
so slight that blockade Is not wortl
thinking about. Perhaps the time hat
CONS when II will be we'll 10 consideI
what factors determine the degree o
probability.
II Is clear that as between two couH,
tries OF equal wealth the probability q
war varies with the disparity hetweeI
their navies; and unless other nations
are involved Is practically zero II theiI
navtes are equal In power. Therefor,
the greatest probability Of war Is be
tween two countries. Of which n I
The sun., 1916-10-15

tween the Moslems Of Arabia and the
Chr. stlans OF Abyssin!a went on I'M
interruptedly until about some seventy
years ago.. and there have been re-
peatcd A~byssinlan invasions Of Arabia
and Arab Moslem invasions Of Abyss
sinia.
When the Arab Moslems abandoned
the struggle their place was taken
by the Moslems Of Egypt, and Amer
lean officers who were. In the military
service of Khedive Ismail will remem
Der the campaigns which he carried on
against Abyssinia, In some of which
they took part. Tho campaigns oc-
CURED In the reign Of Negus John.
and there was one battle In particular
in which the Ehedivial troops were
overtaken by dire disaster.
The American officers were spared
and suffered no harm. partly beca use
they were Americans. but more espe.
cially because they were Christians.
But the rank and file Of the Egyptians
who fell into the hands Of the Abyss
s!n.ans were subjected { nameless
mutations, while all Of the Moslem
The sun., 1916-10-15
THE PALACE,
Adds -A8A8A

son Of one born and bred - q follower
Of Islam.
They do o style Jeassu by his
name but are fond OF referring 10
him az Lii tor Lord) All Mahomet."
and II Is a significant fact that ever
since his accession to the throne first
Of all the regent Of the empire during
his minority and afterward his prin-
cipal Ministers and entourage would
not permit him to see his father "
! allow the latter to come within q hum
dred miles OF the capital, lest his pres
ence there should cause q popular ris-
ing aga INST his con.
may state here. incidentally. that
the new Empress Zeoditu 10 MOI the
only woman to rear the imperial IT,
tie. although her stepmother. Empress
Taitu. who still figures as living In
the current issue Of the Almanach de
Gotha, died q couple of years ago as
q prisoner Of state. held In captivity by
| Emperor Jeassu and his Ministers. For
Jeassu. who Is just twenty years Of
age. was married as a boy OF fourteen
TO the then seven-year-o,d Princess
Rumanowork. so far as I am aware
they have never lived together. and
thus this now thirteen-year-old girl
finds herself a wife. yet a maid. and .
dethroned empress.
The cable dispatches announcing
the deposition Of Emperor Jeassu and
the elevation of Princess Zeoditu to
the throne In his stead are very brief.
and perhaps in the course OF a few
weeks We shall receive the detail OF
this coup d'etat at Adds Abeba- But
In view OF what I know OF conditions
that have existed there until now, II
may safely be taken for granted that
the popular aversion to Emperor Jeas-
SUI. due TO the Moslem birth OF his
father. Ras Mikhael. and attributable
aleo to his exaggerated leanings to-
ward everything foreign and TO the
reck.essness Of his conduct and poll
cies. arising from the drunken habits,
which. according to latest accounts
he has developed. has come to q head
and eliminated in . rising against
him.
Among other c~ontribu,ory causes OF
his downfall, have undoubtedly been
the way In which he has 1outed and
insulted the more conservative OF the
great mobiles. chieftains and ras, who
may be said to hold positions In Abys-
sin!s akin to the great feudal barons
In Er gland In the days Of the Plantag.
enet kings: and the belief. widespread
throughout the nation. that Mene.cA
The sun., 1916-10-15

The U-5S does not OF herself consti-
tute a great danger to the United
States. but the condition OF national
defencelessness which her startling ap-
pearance off Newport illuminated. and
which the instantaneous drop in stocks
confessed. constitutes a national dan
ger of the most formidable kind.
II n submarine could come across
O fleet could do the same; that 10. q
wal feet Of battlesh.ps, cruisers ant
the rest, which We should be compelled
with our present active flee, TO meet.
The chief lesson which the U-53 has
so clearly demonstrated is the fac that
NO should receive no warning OF our
danger. for II We ever get into war
with a real military European country
We shall find that II will be almost as
difficult to get warning of the coming
Of their feet as 1t would have been to
discover the approach of the U-53.
The chief reason for this Is that we
have no scout ships or battle cruisers
with which to find an enemy fleet.
In case Of war II Is more than prob
able that we should hear merely that
q large fleet had sailed from Europe.
destination unknown. We might hear
no moro Of 1t until II appeared In the
vicinity Of New York. the Chesapeake.
the Caribbean Sea or the Panama
Canal.
The U-53 has shown US how accessi-
BILE our shores are to Europe. the
pacifsts to the contrary nothwith-
standing.
Long ago tho probability OF some
such demonstration as the U-63 has
given US was clear. In fact. II became
my duty at one time to point out the
dangers into which the present war
would plunge the United States, and
did SO In my official letter to the Sec
retary Of the Navy. dated November o.
1914. which reported also that the navy
was u~nprepared for a
Tho clearest consequence Of u ma
ti0nal policy Of unpreparedness 10 To
submit " to the menace Of blockade,
Blockade can DO established without
an actual state of war. without even a
declaration of a It has often been
used by nations to bring other nations
to terms; 1t Is an act Just short OF
war.
\ Many people think q foreign nation
cannot harm u unless II actually In
vades u soil. They do not realize
that every great nation Of to-day ID
Nike a great business Arm. that block.
ade Of Its coast would stop . very
large proportion Of its business trans.
actions and would harm its CONNER
cial prosperity TO . degree that would
depend on how greatly the nation VA
. manufacturing and exporting M.
tioa. Any blow % aay Of these grsaa
The sun., 1916-10-15

OF the fleet. however. would make II
possible for the enemy feet to book
ade u ports later. and thus bring
about the horrors Of which We have
spoken.
The lesson OF tho C-53, while not e.
tablishing the possibility Of what may
he called an alright blockade OF our
long coast at the moment, Indicates the
possibility Of a partial blockade In the
future. a blockade that would make II
exceedingly risky for vessels to break
1t; such a blockade as was maintained
during the greater part Of the civil
war 10y the Northern States against
the Southern States.
The blockade would b more dis.
tresslng to Us. however. than II was to
the Southern States, or to any agricul-
tural country fifty years ago. for two
very important reasons.
First, the progress Of modern engi.
neering has made nav!es much more
powerful.
Second. the great countries now are
much more vulnerable to blockade. be-
aus they hold so many millions OF
people dependent upon manufacturing
industries who are forced to live On
artificial life In cities.
The United States may not depend
for its daily bread upon the regular
coming OF wheat from over the seas
bu, millions Of its people do depend
directly and indirectly upon the money
earned from the export Of manufac-
tured things. A country becomes de-
pendent upon outside commerce
through habits and modes Of life. jus,
as a a does upon outside air. There.
fore a people suddenly deprived Of q