The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-05-09
CHAPTER XIX

Colonel Flagwill had sprawled out
on a cot in his office in the NUM-
lions Building for a few winks of
sleep at sunrise, when he was shak-
en- to wakefulness by an assistant.
Here's our report from the
Fourth Army at San Diego, sir"
the assistant reported. "Air recon-
Nuisance confirmed Major Ben
nlng's report from Ell Paso. Van
Hassek's troops are moving north
from Guaymas! Facts confirmed by
photographs taken by one of our OBJ
servation planes"
Flagwill sat up and read the re-
port with blank expression. The
staggering succession of events, the
crushing responsibilities of the past
few days had bankrupt him of emo
ton.
"Well-one more report from our
Asiatic fleet and we'll know the
worst" he muttered "Is General
Hague at his desk yet, do you
know"
mo. sir, the general has been
asleep for nearly an hour. His aide
refuses to let anyone disturb him
on any account. Major Benning re-
ported in from Ell Paso half an
hour ago. You were asleep"
Let him come in" Flagwill in
terrupted.
Benning responded at once, his
face peculiar chalky color. Flag
Wills eyes conferred on the majors
left arm that hung from his neck in
a wooden sling.
"You didn't tell me you'd been in
JAM" Flagwin accused. What
are all the bandages about?"
Benning smiled placidly, and said:
''The sawbones took a Luger slug
out at Ell Paso, sir. I've only my
self to blame for taking foolish
chances, but at least all's well that
ends well, and suppose I'll always
feel better about the way I handled
it."
What about Boggio?" Flagwill
sharply interrupted.
when 1 met him, instead of
shooting him at sight, said, bog
gio, I'm Major Benning, United
States Army. understand you claim
responsibility for bombing the White
House." Boggio snatched out his pis-
tol and went into action. / aimed
very deliberately at his heart and
effected clean bull's-eye. l didn't
even know I'd been hit until some
minutes later"
Flagwill nodded gravely and said:
I'm glad you did it just that way,
Benning. Hope your arm isn't in
too bad a fix"
"Just little hole, sir. Ell Paso
gave me anti-tetanus treatment and
said I'd be as good as new in a
short time. Things seem to look
pretty black just now. Anything new
from Panama."
Eyes. Engineers affirm that it'll
take year to put the Canal in
commission.
General Hague's aide-de-camp
mons, his ashen face and distended
eyes eloquent of some major ca
tastrophe that he did not wait to
disclose.
Flagwill got to his feet There
must be blood on The moon, Ben
ningl" he exclaimed. Better go
out to Walter Reed and get your arm
treated, then report back here to
me in event I need you"
Benning passed up the hospital to
search through Intelligence summa-
ries and press reports. They reflect
ed world now black as pitch with
stark omens of mighty violence.
An hour later President Tannard
walked slowly up and down his
study, head sunk to his chest, hands
tightly clenched, the tense silence of
the room broken only by the soft
tread of his feet and the noisy tick
of small clock. Across the room
from him stood General Hague and
Admiral Hunt, the latter, chief of
naval operations.
The President halted in front of
Hague and said in low voice, you
are sure of your estimate, General,
that you haven't sufficient forces to
hold the Pacific coast against a ma
jor invasion?"
Positive, SIR" Hague affirmed at
once. Even III we SnOVeQ all our
available troops onto the Pacific
coast, we couldn't supply them with
ammunition for more than two
weeks of action, IL that long. AS l
said before, sir, our defense plans
have been laid on having an effec-
tive force ready in three hundred
days after mobilization"
Il regret to say, General" Pres
ident Tannard responded, that with
all my years in the Senate l didn't
realize that condition"
The President turned to Admiral
Hunt and asked him, with the loss
OF your naval bases on the Pacific,
you will have Pearl Harbor to fall
back on7"
If two of our battleship diyi-
sions and other craft are to be or
dered TO protect the Atlantic, sir. I'd
recommend against risking what re-
mains of our feet on the Pacific In
Pearl Harbor. Such a division of
the feet is very dangerous"
Then you recommend abandon
ment Of the Pacific coasts. at least