The trial took the best part of the night and when it proved a perfect success Oscar Pelham could hardly contain himself.
"She'll be the submarine terror," he observed. "No warship, no matter how big she is, will be able to stand up against her secret attacks."
CHAPTER II.
FIRST BATTLE ON THE OCEAN.
The news that war had been declared against practically the whole civilized world was correct.
In a thousand ways Uncle Sam tried to settle the many existing troubles without an appeal to arms, and had failed in each and every instance.
Other nations looked with keen envy upon our growth and development.
"We must cut that nation down," they said. "If we do not it will, sooner or later, rule us all, commercially and otherwise."
Yet the United States had no intention of ruling any nation without the people's consent.
Freedom had been given to Cuba and the Philippines, and some years later these islands had begged to be admitted, first as territories and then as states.