The Invasion of America: a fact story based on the inexorable mathematics of warMuller, J. W. (Julius Washington)
History
The Invasion of America: a fact story based on the inexorable mathematics of war
Muller, J. W. (Julius Washington)
Imaginary wars and battles; United States -- Defenses
Trinity, too, had a gun in its tower, pointing down Wall Street. North
and south on upper Broadway, guns on the Flatiron Building could reach
any important street or any place where dangerous crowds might
conceivably form. This eminence controlled both Madison and Union
Squares. The tower of Madison Square Garden, near-by, also was armed.
From it men could watch and reach any part of the East Side that was out
of reach of the detachments in the bridge towers. Uptown New York was
governed more easily still. The wide, geometrically regular streets with
many open squares, were overlooked by tall apartment buildings and
hotels that commanded long sweeps of avenue. As a result, many of the
city squares and smaller parts had no artillery in them at all, and
others had only half a battery.
The people knew that wherever they might move, they were within the
range of cannon that were loaded and ready. Their Citizens’ Committee
and their officials worked under guns. Every foot of their Great White
Way could be changed into a Way of Death at a moment’s notice. Their
women could not shop, their children could not play, except under the
menace of weapons.
Small need was there in New York City of the many placards and notices
warning the people against disorder. Every man’s eye was on every other
man; and had one plotted mischief or rebellion, there would have been a
hundred witnesses ready to suppress him, to betray him--anything to
prevent those steel devils in the city towers from setting death loose
in the streets!
X
THE PRICE THAT HAD TO BE PAID
Not until the City of New York actually was surrendered did the people
of the Middle and Far West become startled into a really acute
perception of the catastrophe that had fallen on the whole country.
Though they were fiery with patriotism and anger, and though they were
giving not only lavishly but extravagantly of their wealth and men, they
were free, unconquered and untouched. They had seen no invader. With a
suddenly freshened realization of the hugeness of the country, they had
attained the conviction that there was little danger that any foe
possibly could reach them from the Atlantic.
They were willing to defend the East with all that they had. They were
willing to toss to the air all their royal plans for the splendid future
that was all but built. They were the real America, and they were
willing to ruin themselves and die for America. But--the men of Chicago
were a thousand miles from an enemy. Three thousand miles separated the
men of the Pacific from the armed enemies in New England.
So their customary life and their business had continued. They continued
to work and barter and plan. The loss of the industries of New England
had made itself felt at once, but there was an enormous land left. Even
the locking of all the Atlantic and Gulf ports with the attendant
calamities could not wholly shatter their great web of trade.
_Pacific Remains Open_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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