CHAPTER XIX
THE START
R. GILES was so stupefied at this totally unexpected turn of affairs that for a moment he was unable to utter a syllable. But in that moment his thoughts were not idle.
Full well he knew that among the Australian politicians there were quite a large number of "Jingoes," and he knew also that there had been considerable discussion as to the dangers which menaced Australia from the construction of the tunnel.
One of the sensational papers was particularly bitter in denouncing the scheme, as the following extract will show:
Up to the present time Australia and the United States have been on a most friendly footing, owing to their remoteness from each other. With nations, as with individuals, it is among near
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