iritually, commercially and
artistically; it means that England and the United States, whose sphere
of influence has extended around the globe, will be beaten back, that
the flag of the Latin countries will wave again over lost possessions.
It means all of that, and more."

His voice had risen as he talked until it had grown vibrant with
enthusiasm; and his hands pointed his remarks with quick, sharp
gestures.

"All this," he went on, "was never possible until three years ago, when
the navies of the world were given over into the hands of one nation--my
country. Five years ago a fellow-countryman of mine happened to be
present at an electrical exhibition in New York City, and there he
witnessed an interesting experiment--practical demonstration of the fact
that a submarine mine may be exploded by the use of the Marconi wireless
system. He was a practical electrician himself, and the idea lingered in
his mind. For two years he experimented, and finally this resulted." He
picked up the metal spheroid and held it out for their inspection. "As
it stands it is absolutely perfect and gives a world's supremacy to the
Latin countries because it places all the navies of the world at our
mercy. It is a variation of the well-known percussion cap or fuse by
which mines and torpedoes are exploded.

"The theory of it is simple, as are the theories of all great
inventions; the secret of its construction is known only to its
inventor--a man of whom you never heard. It is merely that the mechanism
of the cap is so delicate that the Marconi wireless waves--and _only_
those--will fire the cap. In other words, this cap is tuned, if I may
use the word, to a certain number of vibrations and half-vibrations; a
wireless instrument of high power, with a modifying addition which the
inventor has added, has only to be set in motion to discharge it at any
distance up to twenty-five miles. High power wireless waves recognize no
obstacle, so the explosion of a submarine mine is as easily brought
about as would be the explosion of a mine on dry land. You will readily
see its value as a protective agency for our seaports."

He replaced the spheroid on the table.

"But its chief value is not in that," he resumed. "Its chief value to
the Latin compact, gentlemen, is that the United States and England are
now concluding negotiations, unknown to each other, by which _they_ will
protect _their_ seaports by means of mines primed with this cap. The
tun