Великий военный синдикат

           Inashorttimethemostpowerfulmen-of-waroftheRoyalNavy,aswellasafleetoftransportscarryingtroops,wouldreachthecoastsofNorthAmerica,andthentheconditionofaffairswouldrapidlybechanged.Itwasabsurdtosupposethatafewmedium-sizedvessels,howeverheavilyarmoured,orafewnew-fangledsubmarinemachines,howeverdestructivetheymightbe,couldwithstandanarmadaofthelargestandfinestarmouredvesselsintheworld.Ashiportwomightbedisabled,althoughthiswasunlikely,nowthatthenewmethodofattackwasunderstood;butitwouldsoonbetheportsoftheUnitedStates,onboththePacificandAtlanticcoasts,whichwouldlieunderthegunsofanenemy.ButitwasnotinthepoweroftheirnavythattheBritishGovernmentandthepeopleofEnglandandCanadaplacedtheirgreatesttrust,butintheincapacityoftheirpettyfoetosupportitsridiculousassumptions.TheclaimthatthecitylayunderthegunsoftheAmericanSyndicatewasconsideredridiculous,forfewpeoplebelievedthatthesevesselshadanyguns.Certainly,therehadbeennoevidencethatanyshotshadbeenfiredfromthem.Intheopinionofreasonablepeoplethedestructionofthefortsandtheexplosionsintheharbourhadbeencausedbymines—minesofanewandterrifyingpower—whichweretheworkoftraitorsandconfederates.Thedestructionofthelighthousehadstrengthenedthisbelief,foritsfallwassimilartothatwhichwouldhavebeenoccasionedbyagreatexplosionunderitsfoundation.