Page:America Fallen!.djvu/111

Rh Comptroller, is twenty billion dollars, there is but one possible way to do it, and that is for you gentlemen to devise at once the ways and means for a cash payment in gold of five hundred million dollars and a guarantee of the balance of the five billion dollars demanded."

The General left the room. With his departure the spirit of optimism began to prevail and ultimately a committee was appointed which decided to make a counter proposal of one billion, with a cash payment of fifty millions in gold. Meanwhile the Federal Government gave orders that no military demonstration should be made for the next twenty-four hours.

This proposal was handed to Captain Dornfeld, who promptly returned to the flagship.

The afternoon and evening wore away; but no answer came from the German