FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  
oportions. Sixty years ago, it had to man its boats with Berlin hack drivers arrested by the police. Now its commercial fleets and war vessels cross all oceans, and there is no port where the German merchant marine does not occupy the greatest part of the docks. It would only be necessary to continue living in this way, to put yourselves beyond the exigencies of war! Twenty years more of peace, and the Germans would be lords of the world's commerce, conquering England, the former mistress of the seas, in a bloodless struggle. And are they going to risk all this--like a gambler who stakes his entire fortune on a single card--in a struggle that might result unfavorably?" . . . "No, war," insisted the Counsellor furiously, "preventive war. We live surrounded by our enemies, and this state of things cannot go on. It is best to end it at once. Either they or we! Germany feels herself strong enough to challenge the world. We've got to put an end to this Russian menace! And if France doesn't keep herself quiet, so much the worse for her! . . . And if anyone else . . . ANYONE dares to come in against us, so much the worse for him! When I set up a new machine in my shops, it is to make it produce unceasingly. We possess the finest army in the world, and it is necessary to give it exercise that it may not rust out." He then continued with heavy emphasis, "They have put a band of iron around us in order to throttle us. But Germany has a strong chest and has only to expand in order to burst its bands. We must awake before they manacle us in our sleep. Woe to those who then oppose us! . . ." Desnoyers felt obliged to reply to this arrogance. He had never seen the iron circle of which the Germans were complaining. The nations were merely unwilling to continue living, unsuspecting and inactive, before boundless German ambition. They were simply preparing to defend themselves against an almost certain attack. They wished to maintain their dignity, repeatedly violated under most absurd pretexts. "I wonder if it is not the others," he concluded, "who are obliged to defend themselves because you represent a menace to the world!" An invisible hand sought his under the table, as it had some nights before, to recommend prudence; but now he clasped it forcibly with the authority of a right acquired. "Oh, sir!" sighed the sweet Bertha, "to talk like that, a youth so distinguished who has . . ." She was not able to finish, for her
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

living

 

menace

 

Germans

 

defend

 

Germany

 

obliged

 
strong
 

struggle

 

continue

 
German

continued

 

exercise

 

complaining

 

circle

 
arrogance
 

expand

 
manacle
 

oppose

 

emphasis

 

throttle


Desnoyers
 

maintain

 

prudence

 

clasped

 

authority

 
forcibly
 

recommend

 

nights

 

sought

 

acquired


distinguished

 

finish

 

sighed

 

Bertha

 

invisible

 
preparing
 

simply

 
wished
 

attack

 

ambition


boundless

 
nations
 

unwilling

 

unsuspecting

 

inactive

 

concluded

 
represent
 

pretexts

 
repeatedly
 
dignity