The Conquest of America | Page 9

within three
days but, Mr. Langston, as purely as the sun shines on that ocean, we
Americans are living in a fool's paradise. We are drunk with prosperity.
We are deaf and blind to the truth which is known to other nations,
known to our enemies, known to the ablest officers in our army and
navy.
"The truth is that, as a nation, we have learned nothing from our past
wars because we have never had to fight a first-class power that was
prepared. But the next war, and it is surely coming, will find us held in
the grip of an inexorable law which provides that nations imitating the
military policy of China must suffer the fate of China."
The Admiral now explained why he had sent for me. It was to suggest
that I cable the London Times, urging my paper to use its influence,
through British diplomatic channels, to avert another great war. I
pointed out that the chances of such intervention were slight. Great
Britain was still smarting under the memory of Americans' alleged
indifference to everything but money in 1918 when the United States
stood by, unprotesting, and saw England stripped of her mastery of the
sea after the loss of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal.
"There are two sides to that," frowned the Admiral, "but one thing is
certain--it's England or no one. We have nothing to hope for from
Russia; she has what she wants--Constantinople. Nothing to hope for
from France; she has her lost provinces back. And as for
Germany--Germany is waiting, recuperating, watching her chance for a
place in the South American sun."
"Germany managed well in the Geneva Peace Congress of 1919," I
said.

The veteran of Manila threw down his cigarette impatiently.
"Bismarck could have done no better. They bought off Europe, they
crippled England and--they isolated America."
"By the way," continued the Admiral, "I must show you some things in
my scrap book. You will be astonished. Wait a minute. I'll get it."
The old fellow hurried off and presently returned with a heavy volume
bound in red leather.
"Take it up to your room to-night and look it over. You will find the
most overwhelming mass of testimony to the effect that to-day, in spite
of all that has been said and written and all the money spent, the United
States is totally unprepared to defend its coasts or uphold its national
honour. Just open the book anywhere--you'll see."
I obeyed and came upon this statement by Theodore Roosevelt:
What befell Antwerp and Brussels will surely some day befall New
York or San Francisco, and may happen to many an inland city also, if
we do not shake off our supine folly, if we trust for safety to peace
treaties unbacked by force.
"Pretty strong words for an ex-President of the United States to be
using," nodded the Admiral. "And true! Try another place."
I did so and came upon this from the pen of Gerhard von
Schulze-Gaevernitz, professor of political economy at the University of
Freiburg and a member of the Reichstag:
Flattered and deftly lulled to sleep by British influence, public opinion
in the United States will not wake up until the 'yellow New England' of
the Orient, nurtured and deflected from Australia by England herself,
knocks at the gates of the new world. Not a patient and meek China,
but a warlike and conquest-bound Japan will be the aggressor when that
day comes. Then America will be forced to fight under unfavourable
conditions.

The famous campaigner's eyes flashed towards the Pacific.
"When that day comes! Ah! Speaking of Japan," he turned over the
pages in nervous haste. "Here we are! You can see how much the
Japanese love us! Listen! This is an extract from the most popular book
in Japan to-day. It is issued by Japan's powerful and official National
Defence Association with a view to inflaming the Japanese people
against the United States and preparing them for a war of invasion
against this country. Listen to this:
"Let America beware! For our cry, 'On to California! On to Hawaii! On
to the Philippines!' is becoming only secondary to our imperial
anthem!... To arms! We must seize our standards, unfurl them to the
winds and advance without the least fear, as America has no army
worthy the name, and with the Panama Canal destroyed, its few
battleships will be of no use until too late.
"I tell you, Mr. Langston," pursued the Admiral, "we Americans are
to-day the most hated nation on earth. The richest, the most arrogant,
the most hated nation on earth! And helpless! Defenceless! Believe me,
that's a bad combination. Look at this! Read this! It's a cablegram to the
New York Tribune, published on May 21, 1915, from Miss Constance
Drexel,