Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Katie Hernandez and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: _Photo by Marceau_] DEFENSELESS AMERICA BY HUDSON MAXIM [Illustration] "_The quick-firing gun is the greatest life-saving instrument ever invented._" Page 83. HEARST'S INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY CO. NEW YORK Copyright, 1915, by HEARST'S INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY CO., INC. _All rights reserved, including that of translation into the foreign languages, including the Scandinavian_ FOREWORD * * * * * THIS BOOK IS PRESENTED WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR To a Few Selected Leaders of American Thought and Shapers of Public Opinion * * * * * DEAR READER: I send you this book in the hope that if not already convinced, you will be convinced by it of the defenseless state of this country--convinced that our danger is as great as our weakness. I hope that you may be moved to use your influence that this country may, by adequate preparation against war, safeguard the property, honor and lives of its people and the sanctity of the American home from violation by a foreign foe. If you are already convinced of our great need then the reading of this book may still strengthen your conviction and stimulate your efforts in the cause of national defense. After you have read the book, kindly lend it to your friends, that they also may read it. Defenseless America was published a year ago at two dollars per copy. Several editions of the book have already been printed and sold. Soon after the publication of the work I presented ten thousand copies, with my compliments, to students graduating in American universities. This has given many persons the impression that Defenseless America is a book for free distribution. To correct such an impression, let me say most emphatically that this book is not free, except to a few persons whom I have selected, and to whom I have sent it free at my own personal expense, for the good of the cause of national defense. The book has exerted so marked an influence in rousing the people of this country to their needs for defense against the red hell of war, that the publishers, through patriotic duty, have placed the good it is doing above all considerations of profit to themselves, and have supplied me copies of this edition of the work absolutely at cost. The publishers have also put an edition of the book on sale, of which this copy is a specimen, at only fifty cents a copy. In order to enable them to do this, I have cut out all royalties on sales which they may make.