The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-05-14

| hC w hANC AAOaoSp PASooCg hC
requested CURLY. and then, after
a moment: "Hellol Please ask
the president II he will receive Mr..
Campbell Immediately. Yes, Mr..
Campbell of the Secret Service. "
There was a pause. Mr.. Grimm
removed his immaculate person
from the desk, and took a chair.
Hello! In half an hour? So
much!"
The pages of the Almanac de
tGotha fluttered through his fin
gers, and. finally he leaned for
ward and studied a paragraph of
it closely. When he raised his
eyes again there was that in them
which Mr.. Grimm had never seen
before-a settled, darkening
shadow.
THE world-war has long been
chimera, Mr.. Grimm" he re-
marked at last, but now-now!
Think of it! OF course, the Cen
trail and South American countries,
taken separately, are inconsequen-
tial, and that is true, too, of the
Latin countries of Europe, except
France, but taken in combination,
under one directing mind, the al
lied navies would be-would be
formidable. at least. Backed by
the moral support of Germany, and
perhaps Japan! Don't you see?
Don't you see?"
He lapsed into silence. Mr..
Grimm opened his lips to ask a
Question: Mr.. Campbell anticipat-
ed it unerringiy:
1.-THE purpose of such an alli-
ance? 1t is not too much to con-
strue it into the first step to-
ward a world-war-a war of re-
prisal and conquest beside which
the other great wars of the world
would seem trivial. For the fact
has at last come home to the ma
tions of the world that ultimately
the English-speaking peoples will
dominate it-dominate it, because
they are the practical peoples.
They have given to the world all
its great practical nventions-the
railroad, the steamship, electric
ity, the telegraph and cable-all
of them; they are the great civfliz-
ing forces. rounding the world up
to new moral understanding, for
what England has done in Africa
and India we have done in a small
er way in the Philippines and Cuba
and Porto Rico; they are the great
commercial peoples. slowly but
surely winning the market-places
of the earth: wherever the English
or the American flag is planted
there the English tongue is being
spoken, and there the peoples are
being taught the sanity of right
living and square dealing.
ut requires no great effort OF
the imagination, Mr.. Grimm, to
foresee that day when the tradi-
tional power of Paris, and Berlin.
and st. Petersburg. and Madrid
will be honey-combed by the
steady encroachment of our meth
DDS. This alliance would indicate
that already that day has been
foreseen; that there is now a re-
sentiment which is about to find
expression In one great, desperate
struggle for world supremacy. A
few hundred years ago Italy-.or
Rome-was stripped of her pow
Ter; only recently the United States
dispelled the illusion that Spain
was anything but a shell; and
and France! One can't help but
wonder IL the power she boasts
is not principally on paper. But
If their forces are combined? Do
you see? 1t would be an ener-
nous power to reckon with, with a
hundred bases of supplies right at
our DOORS"
He rose suddenly and walked
over TO the window, where he
stood for a moment, staring out
with unseeing eyes.
"Given yard of canvas, Mr..
Grimm" he went on finally, "a
Spanish boy will waste It, French
boy will paint picture on 1t, an
English boy will build sail-boat,
and an American boy will erect a
tent. That fully illustrates the
difference in the races"
He abandoned the didactic tone.
and returned to the material mat
ter in hand. Mr.. Grimm passed
him the dispatch and he sat down
again.
Will soon sign compact in
Washington" he read musingly.
Now 1 don't know that the sign
ing of it onU nited States soil can
be prevented. You will see to that,
Mr.. Grimm"
Very WELL" the young man
agreed carelessly. The magnitude
of such a task made, apparently,
not the slightest impression on
him. He languidly drew on his
gloves.
And meanwhile I shall take
steps to ascertain the attitude of
Russian and Japanese representa-
tives in this city,"
Mr.. Grimm nodded.
| And now. for Prince Benedetto
ld'Aburzzi," Mr.. Campbell went on
slowly. CRITICALLY he is not in
Washington, nor the United
States, for that matter. Natural