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The Floating Press - Conan Doyle Sir Arthur

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125 pages

English

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The Title story of this volume was written about eighteen months before the outbreak of the war, and was intended to direct public attention to the great danger which threatened this country. It is a matter of history how fully this warning has been justified and how, even down to the smallest details, the prediction has been fulfilled.

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 juin 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781775417682
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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DANGER! AND OTHER STORIES
* * *
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

*

Danger! and Other Stories From a 1918 edition ISBN 978-1-775417-68-2 © 2010 The Floating Press
While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike.
Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Preface I - Danger! II - One Crowded Hour III - A Point of View IV - The Fall of Lord Barrymore V - The Horror of the Heights VI - Borrowed Scenes VII - The Surgeon of Gaster Fell VIII - How it Happened IX - The Prisoner's Defence X - Three of Them
Preface
*
The Title story of this volume was written about eighteen months beforethe outbreak of the war, and was intended to direct public attention tothe great danger which threatened this country. It is a matter ofhistory how fully this warning has been justified and how, even down tothe smallest details, the prediction has been fulfilled. The writermust, however, most thankfully admit that what he did not foresee was theenergy and ingenuity with which the navy has found means to meet the newconditions. The great silent battle which has been fought beneath thewaves has ended in the repulse of an armada far more dangerous than thatof Spain.
It may be objected that the writer, feeling the danger so strongly,should have taken other means than fiction to put his views before theauthorities. The answer to this criticism is that he did indeed adoptevery possible method, that he personally approached leading naval menand powerful editors, that he sent three separate minutes upon the dangerto various public bodies, notably to the Committee for National Defence,and that he touched upon the matter in an article in The FortnightlyReview . In some unfortunate way subjects of national welfare are inthis country continually subordinated to party politics, so that a self-evident proposition, such as the danger of a nation being fed fromwithout, is waved aside and ignored, because it will not fit in with somegeneral political shibboleth. It is against this tendency that we haveto guard in the future, and we have to bear in mind that the danger mayrecur, and that the remedies in the text (the only remedies everproposed) have still to be adopted. They are the sufficientencouragement of agriculture, the making of adequate Channel tunnels, andthe provision of submarine merchantmen, which, on the estimate of Mr.Lake, the American designer, could be made up to 7,000 ton burden at anincreased cost of about 25 per cent. It is true that in this war theChannel tunnels would not have helped us much in the matter of food, butwere France a neutral and supplies at liberty to come via Marseilles fromthe East, the difference would have been enormous.
Apart from food however, when one considers the transports we haveneeded, their convoys, the double handling of cargo, the interruptions oftraffic from submarines or bad weather, the danger and suffering of thewounded, and all else that we owe to the insane opposition to the Channeltunnels, one questions whether there has ever been an example of nationalstupidity being so rapidly and heavily punished. It is as clear asdaylight even now, that it will take years to recover all our men andmaterial from France, and that if the tunnel (one will suffice for thetime), were at once set in hand, it might be ready to help in this taskand so free shipping for the return of the Americans. One thing however,is clear. It is far too big and responsible and lucrative an undertakingfor a private company, and it should be carried out and controlled byGovernment, the proceeds being used towards the war debt.
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.
August 24th, CROWBOROUGH.
I - Danger!
*
Being the Log of Captain John Sirius
It is an amazing thing that the English, who have the reputation of beinga practical nation, never saw the danger to which they were exposed. Formany years they had been spending nearly a hundred millions a year upontheir army and their fleet. Squadrons of Dreadnoughts costing twomillions each had been launched. They had spent enormous sums uponcruisers, and both their torpedo and their submarine squadrons wereexceptionally strong. They were also by no means weak in their aerialpower, especially in the matter of seaplanes. Besides all this, theirarmy was very efficient, in spite of its limited numbers, and it was themost expensive in Europe. Yet when the day of trial came, all thisimposing force was of no use whatever, and might as well have notexisted. Their ruin could not have been more complete or more rapid ifthey had not possessed an ironclad or a regiment. And all this wasaccomplished by me, Captain John Sirius, belonging to the navy of one ofthe smallest Powers in Europe, and having under my command a flotilla ofeight vessels, the collective cost of which was eighteen hundred thousandpounds. No one has a better right to tell the story than I.
I will not trouble you about the dispute concerning the Colonialfrontier, embittered, as it was, by the subsequent death of the twomissionaries. A naval officer has nothing to do with politics. I onlycame upon the scene after the ultimatum had been actually received.Admiral Horli had been summoned to the Presence, and he asked that Ishould be allowed to accompany him, because he happened to know that Ihad some clear ideas as to the weak points of England, and also someschemes as to how to take advantage of them. There were only four of uspresent at this meeting—the King, the Foreign Secretary, Admiral Horli,and myself. The time allowed by the ultimatum expired in forty-eighthours.
I am not breaking any confidence when I say that both the King and theMinister were in favour of a surrender. They saw no possibility ofstanding up against the colossal power of Great Britain. The Ministerhad drawn up an acceptance of the British terms, and the King sat with itbefore him on the table. I saw the tears of anger and humiliation rundown his cheeks as he looked at it.
"I fear that there is no possible alternative, Sire," said the Minister."Our envoy in London has just sent this report, which shows that thepublic and the Press are more united than he has ever known them. Thefeeling is intense, especially since the rash act of Malort indesecrating the flag. We must give way."
The King looked sadly at Admiral Horli.
"What is your effective fleet, Admiral?" he asked.
"Two battleships, four cruisers, twenty torpedo-boats, and eightsubmarines," said the Admiral.
The King shook his head.
"It would be madness to resist," said he.
"And yet, Sire," said the Admiral, "before you come to a decision Ishould wish you to hear Captain Sirius, who has a very definite plan ofcampaign against the English."
"Absurd!" said the King, impatiently. "What is the use? Do you imaginethat you could defeat their vast armada?"
"Sire," I answered, "I will stake my life that if you will follow myadvice you will, within a month or six weeks at the utmost, bring proudEngland to her knees."
There was an assurance in my voice which arrested the attention of theKing.
"You seem self-confident, Captain Sirius."
"I have no doubt at all, Sire."
"What then would you advise?"
"I would advise, Sire, that the whole fleet be gathered under the fortsof Blankenberg and be protected from attack by booms and piles. Therethey can stay till the war is over. The eight submarines, however, youwill leave in my charge to use as I think fit."
"Ah, you would attack the English battleships with submarines?"
"Sire, I would never go near an English battleship."
"And why not?"
"Because they might injure me, Sire."
"What, a sailor and afraid?"
"My life belongs to the country, Sire. It is nothing. But these eightships—everything depends upon them. I could not risk them. Nothingwould induce me to fight."
"Then what will you do?"
"I will tell you, Sire." And I did so. For half an hour I spoke. I wasclear and strong and definite, for many an hour on a lonely watch I hadspent in thinking out every detail. I held them enthralled. The Kingnever took his eyes from my face. The Minister sat as if turned tostone.
"Are you sure of all this?"
"Perfectly, Sire."
The King rose from the table.
"Send no answer to the ultimatum," said he. "Announce in both housesthat we stand firm in the face of menace. Admiral Horli, you will in allrespects carry out that which Captain Sirius may demand in furtherance ofhis plan. Captain Sirius, the field is clear. Go forth and do as youhave said. A grateful King will know how to reward you."
I need not trouble you by telling you the measures which were taken atBlankenberg, since, as you are aware, the fortress and the entire fleetwere destroyed by the British within a week of the declaration of war. Iwill confine myself to my own plans, which had so glorious and final aresult.
The fame of my eight submarines, Alpha , Beta , Gamma , Theta , Delta , Epsilon , Iota , and Kappa , have spread through the world tosuch an extent that people have begun to think that there was somethingpeculiar in their form and capabilities. This is not so. Four of them,the Delta , Epsilon , Iota , and Kappa , were, it is true, of thevery latest model, but had their equals (though not their superiors) inthe navies of all the great Powers. As to Alpha , Beta , Gamma , and Theta , they were by no means modern vessels, and found their prototypesin the old F class of British boats, having a submerged displacement ofeight hundred tons, with heavy oil engines of sixteen hundredhorse-power, giving them a speed of eighteen knots on the surface and oftwelve kn