ope.

The great Asiatic federation opened up close trade relations with
Australia. This movement, strange to say, had been predicted in Sydney
as far back as April, 1915, when at a public reception to some Japanese
journalists, it was pointed out that a most serious moment in the
history of Australia would occur when the Australian came back from the
big job in Europe, that when he had put his gun in the corner and had
taken off his coat for business, he would see the rapidly developing
nations of Eastern Asia about to dominate the Pacific trade, and that he
would then be wise if he decided at the outset to formulate a policy of
peaceful progress and preserve the closest and most friendly trade
relations with Japan and Eastern Asia.

Australia, therefore, joined in a trade treaty with Eastern Asia, but
Western Europe refused.

It considered that the flooding of its markets with cheap-made Asiatic
goods would mean serious opposition to home factories, which were being
run under high wages.

Belgium alone stood for freedom of trade exchange with Asia. This single
nation in Western Europe that had stood against Socialism was now a
nation of great manufacturing capacity, a country of wealthy people, a
haven for the thoughtful and the ambitious who were forced out of
Humanist nations. Belgium was the centre of European invention.

It could foresee trouble in restricting Asiatic desires for trade
exchange, and pleaded with the nations of Western Europe to open their
ports. It was pointed out, that out of 300 of the wars in the history of
the world, 272 were due to trade causes and only 28 were due to
religious or other causes.

It was pointed out that freedom of trade between German States had made
Germany so strong, that in 1914 it could fight a fifteen months war with
the greatest nations of the world.

But the Humanist nations, being non-militant, turned a deaf ear.

Then a threat of war came from Asia!

It came like a trumpet blast in the ear of a sleeping man, and it found
Western Europe unprepared--with its energy wasted under the rule of
Socialism, and with its armies and navies almost deteriorated out of
existence.

CHAPTER XXX.

Wilbrid Passes Out.

I remember it was the afternoon of Christmas Day, 1916.

Madame had come across to our little home at Dinant for a few days'
rest.

She had almost worked herself to sickness in her active campaign of
organising in preparation for the war-storm t