cause she thinks we sympathized with
Japan in her recent war. And Germany has always kicked like a steer
about our Monroe Doctrine. If she felt strong enough, she'd knock that
doctrine into a cocked hat. She wants to expand, to establish colonies
for her surplus population. She's especially keen on getting into
Brazil. But wherever she turns, she finds the Monroe Doctrine blocking
her way. She says it isn't fair: it isn't reasonable; it isn't based on
international law."

"Well, isn't she right?" asked Tom. "It's always seemed rather nervy to
me, for us to say that no other power shall acquire territory in North or
South America. By what right do we say so?"

"By no right at all," admitted Bert. "We fall back on the law of
self-preservation. We've simply figured out that we want to keep the
ocean between us and the nations of Europe. Otherwise, we'd have to keep
an enormous standing army. If they had territory near by, where they
could drill and recruit and establish food and coal depots, so as to be
ready to attack us suddenly, we'd be on edge all the time. As it is, we
can go to sleep nights, without any fear of finding the enemy in our
backyard the next morning when we look out of the window."

"Well," remarked a Californian, named Allison, whose acquaintance they
had recently made, and who now drew his chair nearer and joined in the
conversation; "we don't need to worry about Europe. The real enemy lies
in another direction." And he pointed toward Asia.

"You mean Japan?" queried Bert.

"Exactly," was the answer.

"Aren't you California people a little daffy on the Japanese question?"
chaffed Dick.

"Not a bit of it," replied Allison, with marked emphasis. "As sure as
you're alive, there's going to be a tremendous fight between Japan and
the United States. Just when it's coming, I don't know. But that it is
coming, I haven't the slightest shadow of a doubt. I'd stake my life
upon it."

His deep earnestness impressed the boys in spite of themselves.

"But why?" asked Tom. "There doesn't seem any real reason for bad blood
between as, as far as I can see."

"Then, too, we opened up Japan to modern civilization in 1859, and
brought her into the family of nations," added Dick. "She's always
professed the greatest friendship for us."

"'Professed,' yes," answered Allison, "but, for some time past, those
professions have sounded hollow. There's the immigration problem.
There's the Magda