Великий военный синдикат

           Therecouldbenodoubtthatearlysuccesswouldbeadirectprofittoit,buttherecouldalsobenodoubtthatitssuccesswouldbeavastbenefitandprofit,notonlytothebusinessenterprisesinwhichthesemenwereseverallyengaged,buttothebusinessofthewholecountry.TosavetheUnitedStatesfromadraggingwar,andtosavethemselvesfromtheeffectsofit,werethepromptingmotivesfortheformationoftheSyndicate.Withouthesitation,theSyndicatedeterminedthatthewarinwhichitwasabouttoengageshouldbeoneofdefencebymeansofoffence.Suchawarmustnecessarilybequickandeffective;andwithalltheforceoftheirfortunes,theirminds,andtheirbodies,itsmemberswenttoworktowagethiswarquicklyandeffectively.AllknowninventionsandimprovementsintheartofwarhadbeenthoroughlyconsideredbytheSyndicate,andbytheeminentspecialistswhomithadenlistedinitsservice.Certainrecentlyperfectedenginesofwar,novelinnature,weretheexclusivepropertyoftheSyndicate.Itwasknown,orsurmised,incertainquartersthattheSyndicatehadsecuredpossessionofimportantwarlikeinventions;butwhattheywereandhowtheyactedwasasecretcarefullyguardedandprotected.ThefirststepoftheSyndicatewastopurchasefromtheUnitedStatesGovernmenttenwar-vessels.Thesewereofmediumsizeandingoodcondition,buttheywereofanold-fashionedtype,andithadnotbeenconsideredexpedienttoputthemincommission.Thisactioncausedsurpriseanddisappointmentinmanyquarters.