CHAPTER XXVIII

OnJuly 4th, 1931, the people all over the United States were celebrating the victory at Cairo where the English and German battleships and hydroplanes had been destroyed. Everything had been quiet and there had been no more air attacks on the cities. A large fleet of the enemies' planes were seen constantly scouting up and down the Mississippi. Colonel Gordon had sent out a scouting expedition with some of the planes equipped with powerful searchlights and they had discovered several mother supply ships, like the "Tokyo," anchored at great heights above Cairo. He knew that this meant that preparations were being made to attack St. Louis and continue the advance up the Mississippi, that the enemy was making for Chicago and the Great Lakes to form a line across the United States so that their airplanes could control this territory, shut off any attacks from the West while they advanced on the Eastern and Northern borders of the United States.

The Nation's birthday brought more good news. Canada informed the United States that she would join hands with her, order England's forces to leave Canadian territory and forbid them to cross Canada to attack the United States. This news was received in Washington just before the President delivered his annualIndependence address. While his speech was short, he called attention to the fact that this was the 155th anniversary of the independence of the United States and that the liberty of this country was threatened greater than at any time since the days of the Declaration of Independence, but stated that cheering news had just come from Canada which would be a great help; that France, our old friend, who had stood by us before, had also come to our rescue and that there was room for hope. The recent victory of Cairo was of great importance. The new inventions which were rapidly being completed would surely save the United States in her hour of greatest need. He urged the people to be courageous, not leave their cities or desert their homes unless absolutely necessary. While no one could be sure of the end, he hoped that a decisive victory would be gained within a few months.

Colonel Gordon reported what the scouting planes had discovered and said that this could mean but one thing, that the enemy is concentrating at Cairo and that the next attacks would be on St. Louis, then probably Louisville, Cincinnati, and Chicago. At a conference of the War Council, he suggested that there was no use risking the lives of the women and children in these cities; that arrangements should be made to move them to places of safety at once, that camps should be established in the Catskills and Adirondack Mountains where they could remain until the danger had passed. The Council, after discussing the matter, decided that this would prove to be a bad move on the part of the Government because it would disclose their weakened conditionto the enemy who might be scouting around St. Louis at high altitudes and would see the people being moved away and know that the country was frightened and make an attack immediately. The Council decided to prepare for an attack, believing that with the help of Canada and France, this country would emerge a victor.

In the early part of August, 1931, the attack upon St. Louis started. The United States had concentrated every available force there. Canada had sent her airplanes to patrol the Northern border, enabling the United States to withdraw more forces to protect the Central part of the country. The battle raged on and off, day and night. There were attacks and counterattacks. The United States factories were turning out airplanes now at the rate of more than 1000 per day. The Henry Motor Company of Detroit had made great improvements on bombing and scouting planes and were turning them out rapidly. A new long-range gun had been completed which would reach the enemy's planes at greater heights and this proved to be of great value in the battle of St. Louis. On the third day of the battle, General Pearson ordered Colonel Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth to lead their men against the Southern and Eastern wings of the enemy. They succeeded in bringing down over 500 of the enemy's planes, and the United States in the encounter only lost about 200 planes. This was very encouraging and General Pearson ordered more of the reserves thrown into the fight on the following day and this seemed just what the enemy was waiting for. One mistake after anotherwas made by the subordinate officers of the United States in carrying out instructions for attacking. The bombing planes ran short of ammunition and were destroyed by the enemies in trying to return to their bases for supplies. The enemy had concentrated more than 30,000 planes for this giant attack on St. Louis. Buildings were being destroyed daily and the loss of life was great. Frightened women and children were rushing in every direction only to get into the path of the exploding bombs. The enemy's planes proved superior, larger and better-manned. Their large supply ships anchored at high altitudes enabled them to get in their effective work of destruction when the United States planes ran out of ammunition.

After the battle had waged for 14 days, with the United States losing thousands of planes, the cause seemed to be hopeless and St. Louis was surrendered. The situation was getting more desperate all the time and the people again were losing hope. The large loss of airships at the battle of St. Louis had weakened the U.S. Army regardless of the rapidity with which new planes were being turned out. The enemy took charge of St. Louis and moved part of their supply bases there. The food situation was acute thruout the country. Farmers had been afraid to go to the field to plant anything. Canada was not able to supply all of our needs and we were blockaded on the South, East and West. The Cabinet now awoke to the fact that many mistakes had been made and that the situation instead of improving was growing rapidly worse.

Before the fall of St. Louis or the news of it had hadtime to be fully understood by the people all over the United States, the English and the Germans attacked the Northern border, making for Chicago. The lines were tightly drawn, the enemy was still holding the Western Coast and it now meant only a matter of capturing Chicago, close up the lines between Chicago and St. Louis, and complete the enemy's lines across the Central part of the United States. Council after council was held while the fighting was going on around the Great Lakes. The Government rushed reinforcements and the new long-range gun on our large cruising airships was able to do effective work for a long time in protecting Chicago. England lost heavily in the battle around the Great Lakes because Canada was helping us there, but the blow was heavy to the United States. Our losses in men and planes were tremendous.

In the early part of September, 1931, it was plain from the skirmishes which had been taking place around the Great Lakes that the enemy was trying to attack Chicago and it was only a question of time when they would break thru and make the attack. The United States officers were well aware of the fact that if Chicago fell into the hands of the enemy, it would place the United States at a greater disadvantage than ever to defend the Eastern Coast. The United States War Council decided to urge France to attack England and Germany and make them withdraw forces from the United States to protect their home cities. France was well equipped with airplanes and could rapidly destroy the large cities in England and Germany and she was the only country on the other side that we could lookto to help us. When America's appeal was received in France, the President of France sent the following message to our Government:

"France is mindful of the perilous position in which the Land of Liberty is now placed. She has not forgotten the days when she came to your rescue during the struggles of the young republic, and you proved that you did not forget when your loyal sons crossed the Atlantic to help save France when she was fighting with her back to the wall in 1917. We placed the Statue of Liberty in the harbor of New York as a signal light to the world to welcome the oppressed from every land to the Land of Liberty. It has ever stood as a beacon light of truth, liberty and justice to all. We now stand ready to defend that statue and its principles. We appreciate the generosity of the American people toward us in the past and now extend them every aid within our power. Our supplies and forces are at your disposal."

About this time England and Germany knew that France was getting ready to aid the United States and they had been preparing to enlist the aid of other countries in order to complete the victories already won and gain control of the United States and divide up the territory. On September 6th, France made the first attack upon London and the same night attacked Berlin from the air, destroying many buildings, with the result that there was a large loss of life. Quickly following this, England, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and Japan called upon the other countries with whom they had treaties to join them in the final battles against the United States, promising a division of the spoils. All the world had become so jealous of the prosperity andsuccess of the United States previous to this War of the Air that they were eager to join in the conquest and share in the great gold supply that had been gathered from all parts of the world by the United States. Turkey and Russia were the first to join the enemy; then quickly followed Rumania, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Morocco and Portugal. These new supporters to the enemy's cause rushed their airplane fleets to the Eastern shores of the United States; sent aid to England and Germany to help hold off France and keep the enemy from having to withdraw any forces from the United States to protect their own countries.

The enemy, knowing that they now had practically all of Europe against the United States, were confident that it would only be a matter of a few weeks to take Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington, then make their own terms and the United States would be forced to accept. The United States knew that the most desperate battle of the war was now impending and another council was held. They were expecting the first blow to be struck in Chicago. The enemy's reinforcements had arrived and were scattered in every direction. The night of October 1st proved to be one of the worst so far of the war. The enemy attacked Omaha, Kansas City, Denver, Cincinnati, Louisville, Milwaukee and St. Paul. The forces from Mexico attacked El Paso, San Antonio, Galveston and Houston. The greater part of the United States forces being concentrated around Chicago and the East, this scattered attack all over the South, West and North was disorganizing to our forces. There was great loss of life and property in all of thesecities because they were not properly prepared for the attack which came suddenly and unexpectedly.

On the morning of October 2nd a Council was held and it was decided to immediately send as many airplanes as possible to help protect these cities because an attack was expected again that night. This was just exactly what the enemy wanted,—to get the United States to scatter forces, withdrawing part of their armies which were protecting Chicago.

On the night of October 2nd the enemy concentrated an attack of more than 50,000 planes against Chicago and broke thru the United States lines on every side. England, Germany and Russia turned loose their giant dreadnought battle planes, the largest that had ever yet been used in the War in the Air. Many of these planes carried 12- to 36-inch guns. They were equipped with the latest improved 12-cylinder motors; were operated by electricity as well as gasoline. These giant planes could be supplied with power thru the air by radio current. The attack was well-timed and they had every advantage of the United States forces. The first attack destroyed Chicago's great skyscrapers. The Board of Trade Building, Post Office and other Government buildings were completely destroyed. Loss of life was appalling. Over a million people lost their lives. More defenseless women and children were killed than in any other battle during the war.

When the sun rose over the great City of Chicago on the morning of October 3rd, buildings were smouldering in ruins in every direction. It was the greatest destruction that had ever been in the history of theworld. No mortal tongue could describe the terrifying sights. There was a brief respite. As the sun rose the enemy's planes which had wreaked their vengeance, withdrew. The United States had lost more than 25,000 planes and their best aviators had gone down in this terrible disaster.

Colonel Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth had done wonderful work and fortunately their lives had been preserved for future use to their country. As Colonel Gordon made his way to headquarters to report to General Pearson, he thought of what he had read in the Acts 2:17: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke." He thought of how he had dreamed and prophesied and how he had believed the Bible knowing that these terrible things would come in the latter days. As he saw the blood, the fire, the smoke and the ruined city, for a moment he wondered why God should permit such destruction as this in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, but then he thought of what he had read in Isaiah 2:2: "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." He prayed to God to hasten the day when men shall not make war any more.

The United States officers knew now that if they held out, Chicago would be completely annihilated because England's giant bombing planes were able to destroy every building and kill every living soul. General Pearson called all the commanding officers together and they quickly agreed that with the enemy outnumbering them 50 to 1, another attack would be soon over with and that it was a useless sacrifice of human life and their remaining planes to offer resistance. But before surrendering, they decided to ask the consent of the President and his Cabinet. The President hastily called the Cabinet together and when they assembled, their faces were grave. They all knew what had happened the night before in Chicago. The President with sadness in his voice read the decision of the commanding Generals and said: "This is the gravest crisis this country has ever faced. To surrender may mean the loss of our country and our liberty; to go on and fight may mean even worse. To surrender Chicago and wait for time to determine the next move may be the wisest plan. We can only trust to God and hope. What is your decision, gentlemen?" Not a man rose to discuss the matter. One by one they answered: "It seems best to permit our commanding officers to surrender Chicago."

News was quickly flashed to headquarters at Chicago and about 10A.M.the white flag was hoisted from the few remaining tall buildings and a large plane was sent out to circle the sky with white flags floating from its wings. As soon as Chicago was surrendered, the enemy planes and land forces were brought up and theyclosed the gap between Chicago and St. Louis, leaving the Central lines intact and the Western lines holding the Pacific Coast.

The New York Stock Exchange closed to prevent complete panic because the people were panic-stricken and selling stocks regardless of price. They soon discovered that the enemy had bases for supplies and ships all up and down the Atlantic and in the Gulf of Mexico. They were in control of the Northern border and in position to attack the Eastern Coast from the North, South, East and West. There was no minimizing the seriousness of the situation. The fall of Chicago had broken the heart of the American people. They were panic-stricken and it looked as tho for the first time in history, Old Glory would trail the dust. There was a great War Council held. To make a plea for peace at this time meant surrender to the enemy and accepting any terms that they might want to dictate. The leaders of the War Council were puzzled. They didn't know what move to make next since they were overwhelmed by great odds. The United States was practically alone in the fight. France and Canada were the only countries which had not joined forces against the United States. When the news of the fall of Chicago reached France, they realized that America was doomed.

The United States Government officials knowing the seriousness of the situation made no attempt to conceal it, but decided to play for time. They replied to the note from the enemy and asked for an armistice to last thirty days, in which neither side would make anyattack until they discussed plans to see if it were possible to arrive at any acceptable terms. The enemy taking this as an admission of defeat and weakness on the part of the United States granted 15 days' time for a discussion of terms, and sent the following note:

The Allied Powers demand the complete surrender of the United States and a division of territory; Japan to have the Western coast, England to have the Eastern coast and Northern territory bordering on Canada; Mexico to have Texas, and Spain to have the territory along the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. The United States is to turn over to the Allied Powers its entire gold supply and the people to submit to the various Governments to which the territory is allotted and there is to be no longer any United States of America. If the Government of the United States refuses to accept these terms, we will destroy Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, and take charge of the Eastern coast of the United States. Your answer must be received within the allotted time.

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