DEFENSELESS AMERICA
BY
HUDSON MAXIM
"The quick-firing gun is the greatestlife-saving instrument ever invented."
Page 83.
HEARST'S INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY CO.NEW YORK
Copyright, 1915, by
Hearst's International Library Co., Inc.
All rights reserved, including that of translation into the
foreign languages, including the Scandinavian
FOREWORD
THIS BOOK IS PRESENTEDWITH THECOMPLIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR
To a Few Selected Leaders of American Thoughtand Shapers of Public Opinion
Dear Reader:
I send you this book in the hope that if not alreadyconvinced, you will be convinced by it of thedefenseless state of this country—convinced thatour danger is as great as our weakness. I hopethat you may be moved to use your influence thatthis country may, by adequate preparationagainst war, safeguard the property, honor andlives of its people and the sanctity of the Americanhome from violation by a foreign foe.
If you are already convinced of our great needthen the reading of this book may still strengthenyour conviction and stimulate your efforts in thecause of national defense.[iv]
After you have read the book, kindly lend it toyour friends, that they also may read it.
Defenseless America was published a year agoat two dollars per copy. Several editions of thebook have already been printed and sold.
Soon after the publication of the work I presentedten thousand copies, with my compliments,to students graduating in American universities.This has given many persons the impression thatDefenseless America is a book for free distribution.
To correct such an impression, let me say mostemphatically that this book is not free, except toa few persons whom I have selected, and to whomI have sent it free at my own personal expense,for the good of the cause of national defense.
The book has exerted so marked an influencein rousing the people of this country to theirneeds for defense against the red hell of war, thatthe publishers, through patriotic duty, haveplaced the good it is doing above all considerationsof profit to themselves, and have suppliedme copies of this edition of the work absolutely atcost.
The publishers have also put an edition of thebook on sale, of which this copy is a specimen, atonly fifty cents a copy. In order to enable themto do this, I have cut out all royalties on saleswhich they may make.[v]
This edition of the book may be bought of orordered through any book store at fifty cents acopy, or from the publishers, Hearst's InternationalLibrary Company, 119 West 40th Street,New York, N. Y., who will send single copies ofthe book to any address on receipt of sixty cents,or they will send ten copies of the book, in a singlepackage, to any address on receipt of five dollars—fiftycents a copy.
Copies of the regular library edition, printed onsuperior pap