was
called, was the stupid of Company B. Being generally inoffensive, the
butt of the drill sergeant, who thought that he would never learn even
the manual of arms, and rounding out the variety of characters which
makes for fellowship, he was regarded with a sympathetic kindliness by
his comrades.

"But I don't think you ought to joke about the flag That's sacred!"
declared Eugene.

"Now you're talking!" said Jacob Pilzer, the butcher's son, who sat on
the other side of the bench from Eugene. He was heavily built, with an
undershot jaw and a patch of liverish birthmark on his cheek.

"Yes," piped Peterkin, who had an opinion when the two strong men of the
company agreed on any subject. But he spoke tentatively, nevertheless.
He was taking no risks.

"Oh, if we went to war the Bodlapoo affair would be only an excuse,"
said the manufacturer's son. "We shall go to war as a matter of broad
national policy."

"Right you are!" agreed the banker's son. "No emotion about it. Emotion
as an international quantity is dead. Everything is business now in this
business age."

"Killing people as a broad international policy!" mused Hugo _sotto
voce_, as if this were a matter of his own thoughts.

The others scarcely heard him as the manufacturer's son struck his fist
in the palm of his hand resoundingly to demand attention.

"We need room in which to expand. We have eighty million people to
their fifty, while our territory is only a little larger than theirs.
Our population grows; the Browns' does not!" he announced.

"But there is a remedy for that," Hugo interjected loftly, so softly
that everybody looked at him. "Why, all the conscripts of the army for
two years could take a vow not to marry," he said. "We could reduce the
output, as your father's factory does when the market is dull. We should
not have so many babies. This would be cheaper than rearing them to be
slaughtered in their young manhood."

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" shouted the doctor's son, in the midst of the
hilarity that ensued. "Hugo Mallin solves the whole problem of eugenics
by destroying the field for eugenics!"

"The levity of a lot of mere unthinking privates who mistake themselves
for sociological experts shall not deter me from finishing my speech,"
pursued the manufacturer's son.

"Speak on!"

"Listen to the fount of wisdom play!"

"A beer if you produce an idea!"

"War must come some day. It must come if for no other reason than to
stop the s