Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-09-19
CHAPTER VII.
Making a War.

l16uWOTtu WCSlGIlluS WOulu udNC said twenty to one if he had been asked the odds against war when he was parting from Marta Galland in the hotel reception room. Before he reached home he would have changed them to ten to one. A scare bulletin about the Bodlapoo affair compelling attention as his car halted to let the traffic of cross street pass, he bought newspaper thrust in at the car win dow that contained the answer of the government of the Browns to dis patch of the Grays about the dispute that had arisen in the distant African jungle This he had already read two days previously, by courtesy of the premier It was moderate in tone, as became power that had 3,000,000 sol diers against it's opponents 5,o0o,0o0; nevertheless, it firmly pointed out that the territory of the Browns had been overtly invaded, on the preteXt of se- curing a deserter who had escaped across the line, by Gray colonial troops who had raised the Gray flag in
 
 defiantly in occupation of the outpost they had taken.
 As yet, the Browns had not attempt ed to repel the aggressor by arms for fear of complications, but were relying on the Gray government to order a repudiation of commander who had been guilty of so grave an international affront. The surprising and illuminat- ing thing to Westerling was the in- spired statement to the press from the Gray foreign office, adroitly appealing to Gray chauvinism and justifying the "intrepidity" of the Gray commander In responsesto so-called "pin-pricking" exasperations.
 At the door of his apartment, Fran cois, his valet and factotum, gave Wes- terling a letter.
 Important, sir" said Francois.
 Westerling knew by glance that it was, for it was addressed and marked "Personal' in the premier's own hand writing. A conference for ten that evening was requested in manner that left no doubt of it's urgency.
 Curiosity made him little ahead of time, but he found the premier await ing him in his study, free from inter- ruption or eavesdropping
 In the shadow of the table lamp the old premier looked his years. From youth he had been in politics, ever a bold figure and daring player, but now beginning to feel the pressure of younger mems elbows. Ponder even of power, which had become habit, than in his twenties, he saw it slipping from his grasp at an age when the downfall of his government meant that he should never hold the reins again. He had been called an ambitious dem- agogue and a makeshift opportunist by his enemies, but the crowd liked him for his ready strategy, his genius for appealing phrases, and for the gam blers virtue which hitherto had made him a good loser.
 You saw our communique tonight that went with the publication of the Browns dispatch?" he remarked.
 Yes, and l am glad that had been careful to send a spirited commander to that region" Westerling replied.
 ''So you guess my intention, l see" The premier smiled. He picked up a long, thin ivory paper-knife and softly patted the palm of his hand with it.
 Certainly" Westerling replied in his ready, confident manner.
 We hear great deal about the pre- cision and power of modern arms as favoring the defensive" said the pre- mier. T have read somewhere that it will enable the Browns to hold us back, despite our advantage of numbers. Also, that they can completely man every part of their frontier and that their ability to move their reserves rapidly, thanks to modern facilities. makes powerful flanking attack in surprise out of the question"
 Some half-truths in that" an Westerling. One axiom, that must hold good through all time. is that the aggressive which keeps at it always wins. We take the aggressive. In the space where Napoleon deployed di- vision, we deploy a battalion today.