The sun., 1914-09-27

able. and Yet the w.s,st bra MS If Ger
many seem 'o have persuaded them
selves that We had sunk To such depths
Of Cowardiy Incidence that even this
might 90 through. Surely they also
have been hypnoti2cd 10y those foolish
dreams of Britains degeneration from
which they will have So terrible an
awakening
As matter OF fact he General STAFF
had got ahead of the diplomatists and
the German columns We're already over
the border while the point was being
debated at Berlin. There was no re-
treat from the position which had been
taken up
1T is to us a vital natter OF strategy
| and is beyond argument" said the Ger
man soldier.
1T is TO us a vital matter of honor
and is beyond argument" answered the
British statesman.
The die was cast No compromise was
possible Would Britain keep her word
or would she not? That was the sole
question at issue. And what answer
save one could any Hriton give to it?
Il do not believe" said our Prime
Minister. that any nation ever entered
! into a great controversy with "A clearer
conscience and stronger conviction that
he Is fighting not for aggression. moi
for the maintenance # its own selfish
! interest, hut IN defence of principles
| the maintenance of which Is vital to the
! civilization OF the world. So he spoke,
and history will indnrse his words, for
We surely have our quarrel just,
! So much for the events which have
! led us to war Now for moment let
us glance at what we may have To hope
for, what we may have to fear, and
above all what we must each of us 10
that We win through To- a lasting peace,
What have we to gain If We win
That we have nothing material to gain,
no colonies which We CONet, no posses
sions of any sort that We desire is the
final proof that the war has not been
provoked by us No nation would de-
liberately go out of It's way To wage So
hazardous and costly "a struggle when
there is no prize for victory. But one
enormous indirect benefit We will gain
! if we can make Germany a peaceful and
harmless state.
We will surely break her naval power
and take such steps that 1t shall not he
n menace to us any more 1t was this
. naval power WIFI lAN ihIlh NV l'tS' dlih
the need that we should ever, as Mr.
Churchill has So well expressed il, he
ready at our average moment to meet
an attack at their chosen moment-ii
was this which has piled up our wal
estimates during the last ten years until
they have bowed us down, With sucl
enormous sums spent upon ships and
guns great masses of capital were d,-
verted from the ordinary channels oi
trade, while an even more serious result
was that our programmes of social re
form had to hC Curtalcd from want oI
the money which could finance them.
Let the menace of that lurking flee
be Withdrawn, the nightmare of thos
thousand hammers working day ant
night in forging engines for our de
struction, and our estimates will one,
again be those of a civilized Christian
country. while our vast capital Will b
turned from measures Of sclf-protcctiol
tn those of sclf-imprONcment. Shoul,
our victory he complete there is littl
which Germany can yield to us say
the removal of that shadow which ha
darkened MS So long. But our children
, and our Childrens children will never
I If we do our work well now look aCros
the North Sea with the sombre thought
, which have so long been ours. Will
! their lives will be frightened and ele
!. lyated by money (which we. in ourtiarke