The Washburn leader., 1908-05-29
even in this stern self-criticism no flaw
Of andeavor. But in his hour of bitter.
ness he thought that God might have
more kind.
CHAPTER X.
An Emperor Disannears

CHAPTER X.
An Emperor Disappears.
Such was the effect of the strange
happenings of May and June that the
poise of all Europe seemed trembling
and unstable. Men who in all their
lives had respected law and society
began to question the value of COM
munal authority, when even the most
carefully reared power proved unable
to protect itself against what appeared
to be only one invention. Taxation
had created government, which in turn
had devised armies and navies and ex.
pended more and more money in their
equipment. 1t had now been demon.
strated that the discovery of some one
new force, some one engine of destruc.
,tion more powerful than any other
known, could destroy the values of
navies and armies in day. And yet
in this frame of mind, where anarchy
seemed less terrible and governments
at best but weak organizations, the
greed for aggrandizement and CON.
quest reasserted itslf.
In Russia the revolutionists took
heart and hoped to possess the land.
In the Balkans, reeking with the blood
of past strife, new forces were forming
for independence. Rulers of neigh.
boring powers studied the map Of
Turkey. dreaming of what portion
might be seized. China, rehabilitated
for aggression by Japan herself, re-.
gretted compact with the smaller
country which prevented it's seizure,
now that it was so terribly weakened.
But the most threatening attitude of
all was that of Germany toward Great
Britain. The Hohenzollerns, line Of
warriors, still held the ancient throne,
and the kaiser was ambitious for his
country's advancement. An astute
ruler of exceptional capacity, he al.
ready had advanced Germany's flag
of trade beyond all seas, and by this
means alone practically dominated all
of South America. In all earlier days
of this trade conquest the United
States had been busted in her home
enterprises, saying to herself that
when she chose she could find way
to take the traffic of the southern con.
tinent with ease. With her eyes swad,
died in silly egotism, she had waited
I'LL too late, and then, when her band.
ages were removed, suddenly learned
that commercial brains were not con.
fined to America alone. The sleeping
giant had lost commercial supremacy
in continent which was hers by right
Of location and needs, to race of in.
dustrious workers across the sea.
Nor had Germany neglected her
fight for trade at home. There, too,
she found egotists, so swollen with
self-sufficiency that by disastrous
tariff methods they had been bested,
England, failing to protect her pro-
ducers had driven her own farmers and
carriers from the field, until, as one dis
gruntled farmer said: "You can't pick
up a cabbage in stall which don't
bear the words made in Germany
and If a new crown was needed for the
king, Germany would have stood a fajl
chance of booking the order In a
natural revulsion which had reached
fever heat before the Japanese-Ameri
can war broke out, England was try
ing to obstruct this encroachment
The feeling thus engendered between
the two nations eliminated in one OF
envy on the part of Great Britain and
one Of hatred on the part Of Germany
The kaiser. calmly reviewing time.
and conditions, decided that the time
had come to strike.
England, with power sadly dimin
ished through the loss of her grea1
feet, and at the mercy Of the United
States in her richest colony, stoot
open to attack. While she was still
mourning defeat, Germany took ex
ception to the tariff laws in a yer,
carefully worded message. 1t was onf
that under normal circumstance
would have provoked demands TO-
apologies, or, in refusal of such. al
most instant war. But now the liol
was driven to temporize. That th'
kaiser hoped for an open rupture ant
intended to leave no stone unturnet
for such an outcome, was demon
strated by his sending more curtl!
worded notes.
The English press retailed these
to the public, and accused the kaise
Of deliberately plotting war with
foreign country to Offset the spread o
socialism which threatened him a
home, hoping by combat abroad to re
unite his own people.
The kaiser demanded an apolog.
from the British press; but English
men were not accustomed to bending
the knee, even though the lack OF fiex1
bility might cause the loss OF life
Lacking nothing in bravery, they re
luctantly faced crisis rather tnal
brook humiliating domination. Thei
answer therefore was bellicose.
Germany at once began an ominou
assembling Of her fleets in strategy
waters from which on moments nc
tice they might sail forth. Franc
stood automatically aioof, hoping pei
kt.o ~ryN~1a hod WaQrlel