, and, in between, has found
time to travel round the world several times and write a book or two.

"I do not believe in war," he said. "War has no place in the
civilization of the world to-day; but this war was inevitable. Germany
had to expand or be suffocated. And out of this war good will come for
all the world, especially for Europe. We Germans are the most
industrious, the most earnest and the best-educated race on this side of
the ocean. To-day one-fourth of the population of Belgium cannot read
and write. Under German influence illiteracy will disappear from among
them. Russia stands for reaction; England for selfishness and perfidy;
France for decadence. Germany stands for progress. Do not believe the
claims of our foes that our Kaiser wishes to be another Napoleon and
hold Europe under his thumb. What he wants for Germany and what he
means to have is, first, breathing room for his people; and after that a
fair share of the commercial opportunities of the world.

"German enlightenment and German institutions will do the reSt. And
after this war--if we Germans win it--there will never be another
universal war."

The soldier spoke last. He is a captain of field artillery, a member of
a distinguished Prussian family, and one of the most noted big-game
hunters in Europe. Three weeks ago, in front of Charleroi, a French
sharpshooter put a bullet in him. It passed through his left forearm,
pierced one lung and lodged in the muscles of his breast, where it lies
imbedded. In a week from now he expects to rejoin his command.

To look at him you would never guess that he had so recently been
wounded; his color is high and he moves with the stiff, precise
alertness of the German army man. He is still wearing the coat he wore
in the fight; there are two ragged little holes in the left sleeve and a
puncture in the side of it; and it is spotted with stiff, dry, brown
stains.

"I don't presume to know anything about the political or commercial
aspects of this war," he said over his beer mug; "but I do know this:
War was forced on us by these other Powers. They were jealous of us and
they made the Austrian-Servian quarrel their quarrel. But when war came
we were ready and they were not.

"Not until the mobilization was ordered did the people of Germany know
the color of the field uniform of their soldiers; yet four millions of
these service uniforms were made and finished and waiting in our
military stor