nything that they think they've got
the slightest chance of getting away with, Mawruss, so they stick in
this indemnity which they say they ought to receive from the Allies
because the blockade which the Allies kept up against Germany during the
war caused such a shortage in food that one million less German children
was born during that time."

"Three thousand and forty-eight dollars and thirty cents is a pretty
high valuation to put on a German, and a new-born German at that,"
Morris commented. "You're sure that the three thousand and forty-eight
dollars ain't a mistake? Because thirty cents sounds like the correct
figures to me, Abe."

"The birth reduction ain't the only item in their bill, Mawruss," Abe
continued. "They also claim that the blockade prevented the importing of
rubber, camphor, and quinine."

"And I suppose they claim that tire trouble, moths, and malaria
increased something terrible," Morris said. "Well, they're going to have
just as hard a time proving that claim as Senator Reed would that Brazil
is a nation of colored people, Abe."

"When did Senator Reed say that, Mawruss?" Abe asked.

"When he was arguing against the League of Nations, in the Senate the
other day," Morris replied. "He said that there were fifteen white
nations in the League and seventeen colored nations, and he reckoned
Brazil in as one of the colored nations, probably because he confused
the Brazil population with the Brazil nuts which are sometimes called
nigger-toes, Abe. However, Abe, he also included Cuba as a colored
nation, because he claimed that fifty per cent. of the population is
colored."

"But the President of Cuba and the gentlemen which is running the Cuban
government ain't colored people, Mawruss," Abe said.

"That don't make no difference to Senator Reed, Abe," Morris declared.
"To Senator Reed, anything that's found alive in a stable is a horse,
Abe; in fact, coming from Missouri, as Senator Reed does, considering
the size of the colored population of that state, Senator Reed probably
considers himself a colored man, because Senator Reed is perfectly
honest in his opinions, Abe. When he argues that Cuba is a colored
nation, he believes it, so, therefore, when he argues himself into being
a colored man, he probably believes that he ain't quite so dark a
colored man as Senator Vardaman, who comes from Mississippi, Abe, but
only a light colored man, which is of course all nonsense, like Senator
Reed's argum