The Red Cloud chief., 1907-09-13

The whole OF the Mediterranean Meet
is at Gibraltar. and the channel squad
ron is moving up the North sea as
though TO join the home division. All
these movements are quite unusual
What do you make of them thenT'
DuncOmbe asked.
II scarcely know" Lord Runton an
swcrcd. But | can tell you this.
There have been three cabinet cOun-
ellis this week. and there Is a curious
air of apprehension In official circles
in town, as though something were
about To- happen. The service clubs
are almost deserted, and | know for u
fact that all leave in the navy has
been suspended. What I don't under
stand is the silence everywhere. 1t
looks to me ms though there were real
ly going to be trouble. The Baltic
fleet sailed this morning, you know"
Duncombc nodded.
But" he said. even IL they were
i'll disposed To Us, as no doubt Russia
is just now. what could they do? One
squadron of our fleet could send them
to the bottom"
No uDUDl, lDIu hullOu ulSWtItu'
"But supposlng they found an allyT"
France will never go to war" with
us for Russla's benefit" Duncombe de-
clared.
"Grantcd." Lord Runton answered,
"but have you watched Germany's at
titude lately?"
IL can't say that have" Duncombe
aJ,nittnI tsh,tt ahnpl1 naNnt lnnE
upon Germany as a war seeking ma.
ton
"NO. l dare say not" Lord Runton
answered. mo more would n great
many other people. Every one Is will
ing to admit that she would like our
colonies. but 40 one will believe that
she has the courage to strike n blow for
them. | will tell you what ! believe,
Duncombe. | believe that no great
power has ever before been in so dan
gerous a position as we are today"
Duncombe sat VI in his chair. The
WEAKNESS passed from his face, and
he was distinctly interested. Lord
Runton, without being an ardent poll
ticlan, was n man OF common sense
and was closely connected with more
than one member of the cabinet.
"Arc you serious. RuntonY' he asked.
absolutely, Remember. I was In
Berlin for two years. and | had many
opportunities of gaining an insight
into affairs there. What ! can see
coming now | have expected for years.
There are two great factors which
make for war. One is the character
OF the emperor himself and the other
the inevitable rot. which must creep
like n disease into Il great army kept
always upon Il wal footing, through
a decade or more of inactivity. The
emperor Is shrewd enough to see this.
Nothing can possibly exist at its best
which Is not used for the purpose to
which ii owes its existence. That Is
why we have this food of literature
just now telling us of the gross abuses
and general %rottenness Of the German
army. Another five years Of ldlcness
and Gcrmany's position as the first
military nation will have passed away,
Like every other great power, 1t Is
rusting for want of use. The emperor
knows this
Duncombe for many reasons was fas'
cinated by his friends quiet words
Apart from their Obvious plauSlblrty
they brought with them many startling
suggestions. Had chance, he wonder
ed, really made Phyllis Poynton and
her brother pawus in the great game
He felt himself stirred to n rare emo
ton by the flood of possibilities which
swept in suddenly upon him. Lore
Runton noted with surprise the sign,
OF growing excitement in his listener.
/, go on, Runton. Anything else?"
Lord Runton helped himself to
cigarette and leaned across to light It,
"Of course" he continued, II knoy
| that there are n great many peopl
who firmly believe that for commercial
reasons Germany would never seek
! quarrel with us. | will agree wit
them so far as TO say that / do not be
lleve that n war with England woul,
t be popular among the bourgeois o
Germany. On the other hand, the
would be quite powerless to prevent II
u The emperor and his ministers hav
Ii affair In their own hands. a Sigh
break in our diplomatic relations. som
I triie seized hold of by the press an
h magnified at once into an insult, an,
the war torch is klndled. Today wa
does not come about by the slowl
growing desire Of nations. The thread
Of fate are In the hands of n few diplt
matists at Berlin and London-a tur