| CHAPTER I |
| CHAPTER II |
| CHAPTER III |
| CHAPTER IV |
| CHAPTER V |
| CHAPTER VI |
| CHAPTER VII |
| CHAPTER VIII |
| CHAPTER IX |
Since earliest childhood I have been strangely fascinated by the mysterysurrounding the history of the last days of twentieth century Europe. Myinterest is keenest, perhaps, not so much in relation to known facts as tospeculation upon the unknowable of the two centuries that have rolled by sincehuman intercourse between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres ceased—themystery of Europe’s state following the termination of the GreatWar—provided, of course, that the war had been terminated.
From out of the meagerness of our censored histories we learned that forfifteen years after the cessation of diplomatic relations between the UnitedStates of North America and the belligerent nations of the Old World, news ofmore or less doubtful authenticity filtered, from time to time, into theWestern Hemisphere from the Eastern.
Then came the fruition of that historic propaganda which is best described byits own slogan: “The East for the East—the West for theWest,” and all further intercourse was stopped by statute.
Even prior to this, transoceanic commerce had practically ceased, owing to theperils and hazards of the mine-strewn waters of both the Atlantic and PacificOceans. Just when submarine activities ended we do not know but the last vesselof this type sighted by a Pan-American merchantman was the huge Q 138, whichdischarged twenty-nine torpedoes at a Brazilian tank steamer off the Bermudasin the fall of 1972. A heavy sea and the excellent seamanship of the master ofthe Brazilian permitted the Pan-American to escape and report this last of along series of outrages upon our commerce. God alone knows how many hundreds ofour ancient ships fell prey to the roving steel sharks of blood-frenziedEurope. Countless were the vessels and men that passed over our eastern andwestern horizons never to return; but whether they met their fates before thebelching tubes of submarines or among the aimlessly drifting mine fields, noman lived to tell.
And then came the great Pan-American Federation which linked the WesternHemisphere from pole to pole under a single flag, which joined the navies ofthe New World into the mightiest fighting force that ever sailed the sevenseas—the greatest argument for peace the world had ever known.
Since that day peace had reigned from the western shores of the Azores to thewestern shores of the Hawaiian Islands, nor has any man of either hemispheredared cross 30°W. or 175°W. From 30° to 175° is ours—from 30° to 175° ispeace, prosperity and happiness.
Beyond was the great unknown. Even the geographies of my boyhood showed nothingbeyond. We were taught of nothing beyond. Speculation was discouraged. For twohundred years the Eastern Hemisphere had been wiped from the maps and historiesof Pan-America. Its mention in fiction, even, was forbidden.
Our ships of peace patrol thirt