fficer into whose presence we were
conducted spoke Abyssinian fluently. He was astounded when I told him
that I was a Pan-American. Unlike all others whom I had spoken with
since my arrival in Europe, he was well acquainted with ancient
history--was familiar with twentieth century conditions in Pan-America,
and after putting a half dozen questions to me was satisfied that I
spoke the truth.

When I told him that Victory was Queen of England he showed little
surprise, telling me that in their recent explorations in ancient
Russia they had found many descendants of the old nobility and royalty.

He immediately set aside a comfortable house for us, furnished us with
servants and with money, and in other ways showed us every attention
and kindness.

He told me that he would telegraph his emperor at once, and the result
was that we were presently commanded to repair to Peking and present
ourselves before the ruler.

We made the journey in a comfortable railway carriage, through a
country which, as we traveled farther toward the east, showed
increasing evidence of prosperity and wealth.

At the imperial court we were received with great kindness, the emperor
being most inquisitive about the state of modern Pan-America. He told
me that while he personally deplored the existence of the strict
regulations which had raised a barrier between the east and the west,
he had felt, as had his predecessors, that recognition of the wishes of
the great Pan-American federation would be most conducive to the
continued peace of the world.

His empire includes all of Asia, and the islands of the Pacific as far
east as 175dW. The empire of Japan no longer exists, having been
conquered and absorbed by China over a hundred years ago. The
Philippines are well administered, and constitute one of the most
progressive colonies of the Chinese empire.

The emperor told me that the building of this great empire and the
spreading of enlightenment among its diversified and savage peoples had
required all the best efforts of nearly two hundred years. Upon his
accession to the throne he had found the labor well nigh perfected and
had turned his attention to the reclamation of Europe.

His ambition is to wrest it from the hands of the blacks, and then to
attempt the work of elevating its fallen peoples to the high estate
from which the Great War precipitated them.

I asked him who was victorious in that war, and he shook his head sadly
as