The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-26
A MAKER OF HISTORY.
Continued from Page I.


| you seen anything of our friend Won
Rothe since that little affair at your
place."
Lord Runton shook his head.
Not once" he answered. He be-
| haved very decently about it on the
| whole; treated it quite l%shtly-but he
wouldn't let me go near the police. 1t
| was long way the most unpleasant
thing that ever happened in my house"
Never any further light upon it, i
suppose ?" Duncombe asked.
Lord Runton shook his head.
| None. OF course, we could have
traced them both without doubt If We
| had put it in the hands of the police.
but Won Rothe wouldn't hear of it. He
tried to treat it lightly, but | know
| that he was very much worried.
DO you yourself believe Duncombe
asked. that it was political affair or
an ordinary robbery"
81 think that it was the former"
| Lord Runton answered. Those people
| were not common adventures By the
by, George, have you got over your
little weakness yet?" he asked with
! smile.
Duncombe shrugged his shoulders.
Nearly made a fool of myself. didn't
70" he remarked. with a levity which
| did not sound altogether natural.
she was an uncommonly fascinating
young woman" Lord Runton said, but
| she didn't seem to me very old aN thc
game. She was clever enough 10 foo,
Won Rothe, though. He admits thai
ne told her that he was expecting
special messenger from Berlin"
Duncombe seemed to have had
enough of the subject. He got up and
filed his pipe.
rs Jack coming down this week."
he asked.
No! He wired this morning that he
can't get away. Seton ISM coming:
either. Between ourselves. George.
something seems to be going on at the
foreign Office which 1 don't under
stand"
What do you mean?" Duncombc
asked There has been no hint at
any sort Of trouble in the papers"
That's just what I don't under
stand" Lord Runton continued. 1T is
certain that there is an extraordinary
amount of activity at Portsmouth and
| Woolwich. but even the little half
penny sensational papers make no
more than a passing allusion to it,
Then look at the movements of our
feet The whole of the Mediterranean
feet is at Gibraltar, and the channel
squadron is moving up the North sea
as though to join the home division All
these movements are quite unusual
| WI nat 90 you make OF lNeHl lIeH-
Duncombe asked.
II scarcely know" Lord Runton an
swered. But l can tell you this. There
have been three cabinet councils this
week. and there is curious
air of apprehension in official circles
i'm town. as though something
were about to happen. The service
clubs are almost deserted, and l know
for a fact that all leave in the navy
L Ion
derstand is the silence everywhere. 1t
looks to me as though there were really
going to be trouble. The Baltic fleet
sailed this morning, you know"
Duncombe nodded.
But" he said even if 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 doubt" Lord Runton answered.
But supposing they found an ally?"
France will never go to war with us
for Russia's benefit Duncombe de-
clared.
Granted" Lord Runton answered,
but have you watched Germany's at
titude lately?"
| Il can't say that l have" Duncombe
admitted, but should never look upon
Germany as a war-seeking nation"
| NO, udre say nut,
answered. Nor would great many
other people. Every one is willing to
admit that she would like our colonies,
but no one will believe that she has the
courage to strike a blow for them. /
will tell you what 1 believe, Duncombe.
| believe that no great power has ever
before been in so dangerous position
as we are In today"
Duncombe sat up in his chair. The
| Ii 60 -
was distinctly interested. Lord Runton,
without being an ardent politician, was
a man of common sense, and was close
ly connected with more than one mem
Der of the cabinet.
Are you serious, Runton?" he asked.
Absolutely Remember, / was in
Berlin for two years, and / had many
opportunities of gaining an insight into
affairs there. What 1 can see coming
now / have expected for years. There
are two great factors which make for
war. One is the character of the en-
peror himself, and the other the inev-
liable rot, which must creep like a dis
ease into great army kept always
upon a war footing, through 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 it
owes it's existence. That is why we
have this flood of literature just now
telling us of the gross abuses and gen.
eral rottenness of the German army
Another five years of idleness, and
Germany's position as the first military
nation will have passed away. Like
every other great power, it 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 plausibility,
they brought with them many startling
suggestions. Had chance, he wondered,
really made PHYLLIS Poynton and her