On July 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 annual Independence 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 condition to
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 another was 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 had time 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 look to 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 and success 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 these cities 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 the
world. 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 10 A.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 they closed 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 any attack 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.