an shoot? How many of
them can ride? How many of them have any sort of uniform in which they
could prepare to meet the enemy of their country? What do they know or
care for anything outside their little lives and what they call their
love of sport,--they who spend five days in your grim factories toiling
before machines,--their one afternoon, content to sit and watch the
prowess of others! I speak to these footballers themselves. They are
strong men and swift. They are paid to play this game. I do not find
that even one of them is competent to strike a blow for his country if
she needs him. It is because of your young men, then, Mr. Haviland, that
I cannot advise Japan to form a new alliance with you. It is because you
are not a serious people. It is because the units of your nation have
ceased to understand that behind the life of every great nation stands
the love of God, whatever god it may be, and the love of Motherland.
These things may not be your fault. They may, indeed, be the terrible
penalty of success. But no one who lives for ever so short a time
amongst you can fail to see the truth. You are commercialized out of all
the greatness of life. Forgive me, all of you, that I say it so plainly,
but you are a race who are on the downward grade, and Japan seeks for no
alliance save with those whose faces are lifted to the skies."

The pause which followed was in itself significant. The Duke alone
remained impassive. Bransome's face was dark with anger. Even the Prime
Minister was annoyed. Bransome would have spoken, but the former held
out his hand to check him.

"If that is really your opinion of us, Prince," he said, "it is useless
to enter into argument with you, especially as you have already acted
upon your convictions. I should like to ask you this question, though.
A few weeks ago an appeal was made to our young men to bring up to its
full strength certain forces which have been organized for the defence
of the country. Do you know how many recruits we obtained in less than a
month?"

"Fourteen thousand four hundred and seventy-five," the Prince answered
promptly, "out of nearly seven millions who were eligible. This pitiful
result of itself might have been included amongst my arguments if I had
felt that arguments were necessary. Mr. Haviland, you may drive some
of these young men to arms by persuasion, by appealing to them through
their womankind or their employers, but you cannot create a national
spir