The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-02-21

that forces wero also reported mass
Ing In the Mediterranean and the Far
East. That night Fort Houston, Texas,
was heavily bombed. Reports that an en-
envy bombing squadron was approaching
Washington threw the city into panic.
Now continue with the story.
The President has given us carte
blanche. We are mobilizing our en-
tire Regular Army and National
Guard. This"
An aide-de-camp, face bloodless
and eyes starting from their sock
cts. burst into the room. General
Hague glared sharply at the inter
ruption, then stiffened as he caught
the stark tragedy that was written
in the officers face.
PLEASE. sir, will the General take
the telephone?" the aide stammered
in rasping whisper. "lt's-impor-
tant."
The Chief of Staff took the re-
ceiver of the portable telephone that
was handed him by the aide.
Yes, General Hague speaking"
he said.
There followed sitting silence.
General Hague sat with the receiv-
er glued to his ear Into the leaden
silence of the room came the faint
metallic squeak Of an excited voice.
The assembled officers saw their
chief stiffen as if an electric cur
rent had been driven through his
body.
General Hague stared dazedly
across the room for several mo-
ments. His hand that held the tele-
phone instrument descended in a
slow limp arc to the table The
aide took the telephone and removed
it to an adjoining desk
Gentlemen" General Hague TO-
cused his eyes, looked about among
them, waited for control of his voice,
then spoke firmly, "Gentlemen, by
the i'll fortune of circumstance, the
enemy targeted upon the White
House with heavy bomb. The Pres
ident of the United States is dead. ;"
From out in the night came the
screeching of sirens. The shrill
screeches rose above an indescriba-
BILE rumble of sound, the frenzied
cries, and excited shouts of terro-
rized populace. The bombers had
raced on back into the south. The
fretful bark of the anti-aircraft guns
was stilled.
Gentlemen" General Hague's
voice broke the stricken tension Of
the room, I'VE will proceed with
our business"
The head Of the Army resumed
his chair and fumbled with trem-
bling fingers among his notes to
pick up the shattered thread of his
observations. The others sat down
to funereal stolidity.
Getting back to the enemy in
tentions," General Hague resumed,
his voice dry and hoarse, I'VE must
now consider only his immediate OBJ
| jectives. We cannot now deny him
possession OF the worlds largest oil
fields lying in that region generally
north of Beaumont At the same
time he gains the vast sulphur belt
north and east of Galveston. We
may reasonably expect, therefore,
that Van Hassek will drive on to es-
tablish his army on some such east
and-west line as Fort Worth-Dallas
Shreveport.
Yes, gentlemen, well take an
awful beating in Texas for the time
being. Lack OF ammunition for all
weapons will be serious problem.
Our lack of anti-aircTaft guns will
bring US horrible losses. The coun-
| Nrug hn -, o. -
come-until the people get educated
TO this terrible new reality OF their
existence.
But all Of this merely increases
our own responsibilities. We must
do the insupeTable, we must achieve
the impossible, we must face this
crisis with patience and keep be-
fore us the protection of our country
against later serious attack which !
fear is inevitable Gentlemen, lei
US remember this"
General Hague rose to his feet and
the muscles Of his jaw hardened lie
looked about among them again and
his voice cracked as he concluded
"No matter what force may come
against US, no matter what may be
our initial reverses, our country has
the basic character and the re
sources in manpower to make us in
vincible. In the bitter end of what
ever storms may lie ahead, tn
forces, or coalition Of forces, tina
dare attack the United States, vii
find the mighty vengeance OF GU
massed valor That's all for thu
present, gentlemen"
(TO BE CONTINUED