Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Lost Continent Edgar Rice Burroughs

Since earliest childhood I have been strangely fascinated by the mystery surrounding the historyof the last days of twentieth century Europe. My interest is keenest, perhaps, not so much in relationto known facts as to speculation upon the unknowable of the two centuries that have rolled by sincehuman intercourse between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres ceased-the mystery of Europe'sstate following the termination of the Great War-provided, of course, that the war had beenterminated. From out of the meagerness of our censored histories we learned that for fifteen years after thecessation of diplomatic relations between the United States of North America and the belligerentnations of the Old World, news of more or less doubtful authenticity filtered, from time to time, into the Western Hemisphere from the Eastern. Then came the fruition of that historic propaganda which is best described by its own slogan: "The East for the East-the West for the West," and all further intercourse was stopped by statute. Even prior to this, transoceanic commerce had practically ceased, owing to the perils and hazardsof the mine-strewn waters of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Just when submarine activitiesended we do not know but the last vessel of this type sighted by a Pan-American merchantman wasthe huge Q 138, which discharged twenty-nine torpedoes at a Brazilian tank steamer off theBermudas in the fall of 1972. A heavy sea and the excellent seamanship of the master of theBrazilian permitted the Pan-American to escape and report this last of a long series of outrages uponour commerce. God alone knows how many hundreds of our ancient ships fell prey to the rovingsteel sharks of blood-frenzied Europe. Countless were the vessels and men that passed over oureastern and western horizons never to return; but whether they met their fates before the belchingtubes of submarines or among the aimlessly drifting mine fields, no man lived to tell. And then came the great Pan-American Federation which linked the Western Hemisphere frompole to pole under a single flag, which joined the navies of the New World into the mightiestfighting force that ever sailed the seven seas-the greatest argument for peace the world had everknown. Since that day peace had reigned from the western shores of the Azores to the western shores ofthe Hawaiian Islands, nor has any man of either hemisphere dared cross 30°W. or 175°W. From 30°to 175° is ours-from 30° to 175° is peace, prosperity and happiness. Beyond was the great unknown. Even the geographies of my boyhood showed nothing beyond. We were taught of nothing beyond. Speculation was discouraged. For two hundred years theEastern Hemisphere had been wiped from the maps and histories of Pan-America. Its mention infiction, even, was forbidden.