Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-10-18
The 81
DESTROYER
By BURTON E. STEVENSON

winch are party to the agreement.
Under no circumstances may any
nation maintain any force private
ly or for it's own use."
Il am interested to know put
In Pachmann, smoothly, Sin what
manner you propose to secure the
consent of the various nations to
this scheme. The smaller ones will
doubtless be glad to fall into line /;
but you surely do not expect Eng
land and France, for example, to
agree merely because we ask it -
TO those who do not consent"
Ward answered calmly, Eve will
give a demonstration Of the neces-
sity for doing So"
"Some such demonstration as
that of Monday?"
Yes - greater ones, if need
be-"
Pachman considered this
thoughtfully.
1T might do" he said, at last.
"a few such demonstrations
would no doubt be convincing. Yet
there might be one or two which
would be obdurate."
II think, in the end, we can con-
vince them"
You will go to any lengths to
do SOL"
ITO any necessary lengths"
Pachmann nodded.
y was DESTROYS of getting a
clear expression from you upon
that point" he said. "Pray con-
tinue."
II do not believe there will be
many such nations" Ward went
on. "You have spoken of France
and England. l believe France
will consent, for she is a nation of
ldealists. | should have chosen
her to lead the movement, but for
the fact that her army and navy
are inferior to yours, and so she
might seem to be acting from fear
or from self interest. Should you
refuse-should we be unable to
agree-it will be to France [ shall
go next. AS for England, she also
fears ycu-she will be glad to es-
cape from the burden Of her arma-
ments and from the shadow of
your great power. In fact all ma
tlons in whose governments the
people have a voice will be eager
for disarmament. And the people
everywhere must be allowed to
speak. If those i'll power seek to
crush them, to restrain them, we
must assist them to throw off the
yoke of tyranny and decide for
themselves"
"Ah," said Pachmann, very
quietly. Socialism, see I"
1.-The rule Of the people," said
Ward, calmly. "The freedom of the
people-call it what you will. That
is what | labor for. The people Of
each nation must be free to choose
by whom and in what manner thew
will be governed. That evolution
will, of course, take many years !;
but it must not be cramped or re-
tarded. At the very outset, it will
make two considerable changes in
the map of Europe. Poland will be
reconstructed and Alsace-Lorraine
restored to France.
Pachmann started violently, and
a wave Of angry red swept over
his face.
Impossible he cried. elm
possible! To that we can never
CONSENT"
Ward smiled at his emotion.
why mott" he asked, ironic.
ally.
Because" shouted Pachmann.
Elsass and Lorraine are German
they were stolen from Germany
by France two centuries ago"
They were not German-they
were independent states; and they
are not German now. They are
French. However, / am quite will
ing to leave the final decision to
the people of those provinces. You
cannot object to that!"
Pachmann lifted his cigar from
one corner of his mouth to the
ether. His face was Gvid.
Beware that you do not at
tempt too much, my dear SIR" he
said, and there was in his voice a
covert threat not to be disguised.
II warn you. But, in this con
nection, some other: questions oc-
cur to me. What of Irelandi',
AThe Irish shall Decide
"South Africai"
Most Of it belongs to the
Beers.
THAT, at least, is a grain Of
But India, Egypt
cannot answer that. India
EFEA- - DEL AA@EIEG-