Produced by Suzanne Shell, Beginners Projects, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA A Romance of Disaster and Victory: U.S.A., 1921 A. D. BASED ON EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF JAMES E. LANGSTON, WAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE “LONDON TIMES” BY CLEVELAND MOFFETT 1916 AUTHOR OF “THROUGH THE WALL,” “THE BATTLE,” “CAREERS OF DANGER AND DARING,” ETC., ETC. [Illustration: ABOUT NOON ON THE DAY OF CAPITULATION, MAY 25, 1921, A DETACHMENT OF GERMAN SOLDIERS MARCHED QUIETLY UP BROADWAY, TURNED INTO WALL STREET, AND STOPPED OUTSIDE THE BANKING HOUSE OF J. P. MORGAN & COMPANY.] _Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people cometh from the north country; and a great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses; every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion_. Jeremiah 6: 22, 23. _They seemed as men that lifted up Axes upon a thicket of trees. And now all the carved work thereof together They break down with hatchet and hammers. They have set thy sanctuary on fire; They have profaned the dwelling place of thy name even to the ground. They said in their heart, Let us make havoc of them altogether: They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land_. Psalms 74: 5-8. CONTENTS CHAPTER TO MY FELLOW AMERICANS I. I WITNESS THE BLOWING UP OF THE PANAMA CANAL II. AMERICAN AEROPLANES AND SUBMARINES BATTLE DESPERATELY AGAINST THE GERMAN FLEET III. GERMAN INVADERS DRIVE THE IRON INTO THE SOUL OF UNPREPARED AMERICA IV. INVASION OF LONG ISLAND AND THE BATTLE OF BROOKLYN V. GENERAL VON HINDENBURG TEACHES NEW YORK CITY A LESSON VI. VARIOUS UNPLEASANT HAPPENINGS IN MANHATTAN VII. NEW HAVEN IS PUNISHED FOR RIOTING AND INSUBORDINATION VIII. I HAVE A FRIENDLY TALK WITH THE GERMAN CROWN PRINCE AND SECURE A SENSATIONAL INTERVIEW IX. BOSTON OFFERS DESPERATE AND BLOODY RESISTANCE TO THE INVADERS X. LORD KITCHENER VISITS AMERICA AND DISCUSSES OUR MILITARY PROBLEMS XI. HEROIC ACT OF BARBARA WEBB SAVES AMERICAN ARMY AT THE BATTLE OF TRENTON XII. REAR ADMIRAL THOMAS Q. ALLYN WEIGHS CHANCES OF THE AMERICAN FLEET IN IMPENDING NAVAL BATTLE XIII. THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA XIV. PHILADELPHIA’S FIRST CITY TROOPS DIE IN DEFENCE OF THE LIBERTY BELL XV. THRILLING INCIDENT AT WANAMAKER’S STORE WHEN GERMANS DISHONOUR AMERICAN FLAG XVI. AN AMERICAN GIRL BRINGS NEWS THAT CHANGES THE COURSE OF THE MOUNT VERNON PEACE CONFERENCE