Evening star., 1924-12-25
Continued from Yesterdays Starr


We made Gardiner Bay before {
o'clock and turned all hands TO un-
loading the new engines. We shunt-
ed them through the. sheds on the
| overhead electro-magne and depos
| tied them, each to its own bed, or
the new planes ready for fitting
Milliken was not content until h
| had the propeller and the engine cal
| fixed on one Of the busses just to get
an idea of the general effect.
Pretty" he said grudgingly, quite
pretty. am glad We gave then
green bands. though. Wouldn't like
| the old girl to see them making free
with her own particular blue!
Say. Anlliken." 1 protested, don
| get absolutely stuck on the old girl
as you call her. We're going to de
| sign even better bus yet"
He looked at me pityingly.
| Some people" he remarked in &
general sort of way, ARE like Juiiu!
| Caesar. They keep on bein' ambi
tious till 1t busts them!
That" i reminded him cruelty
was pretty much what you sale
when I first suggested the Merlin t
you"
law. WELL" said he, with a half
|
Then he broke off thankfully. Here,
| your dad on the Seven"
We went down to the jetty as tn,
| Seven was brought to. and to m,
surprise the first person to stei
ashore was not my father, but Lore
Almeric Pluscarden.
| "Hullo, Lord Almericr said
Thought you were in Washington 2
T have been in Washington" h,
smiled. but 1 have had to come bach
in a hurry. Your father kindly sen
| the seaplane for me-"
"Hullo. Jimmy my father brok,
| in. Been to Louisville?"
nodded
! II thought you'd go. Come alons
home to dinner. Lord Almeric and
have something to discuss with you
The three Of us got into the road
ster and soon were sitting down Il
dinner at Hazeldene. There was 9
touch of gravity in both my father
and Lord Almeric, though they spoke
without restraint, discussing the Lou.
isville affair very keenly.
THE radium settles IT," said my
father. "weGe up against no ordi.
nary crooks"
ITS a big thing" agreed.
There's some idea underlying ths
whole series" said Lord Almeric. "I,
Is hopeless for your press to attribute
1t all to a revival OF the I. W. W
idea Men who give gifts OF radiun
to hospitals and research institute,
are hardly Of that kidney"
NO" said my father.
What would you say was the no.
tion back of 1t all?" asked them.
Heaven alone knows!" the old mar
burst out. 1T could not have com,
enough on our hands already-eh
Lord Almeric?"
Truly" Lord Almeric nodded
| Eravely.
IT had better take my son into oul
| confidence. my lord" the old mar
| said formally.
'T agree. It would be better"
The old man turned to me and CAV,
| me a keen look.
Jimmy" he said quietly. Lore
Almeric will agree with me that tn
world is ready to seethe over. Un
| less we can pull back in time, W,
| will be in a world war again. LIE
| me show you. Our situation here
Japan, overpopulated in the most ap
palling fashion, is knocking At GU
door insistently. wanting some of on
room. The British dominions ar
closed to the yellow immigrant. an
Japan Is prevented by the world from
getting all she wants in Siberia an'
| China. The pot is ready to boil over
"Take the European situation
There Is Germany snarling over nev
Russia like a dog with q bone, and
your pardon, Lord Almeric-"
mot at all, Boom" said Lord Al
! meric. And Britain-ah-Jimmy, 1
may take the privilege - Britain
4 fa Rv GArpa threat he
cause the bone Is q particularly juic.
| one"
Poland, too" my father went on
betrayed for the second time in his
tory by the European powers-an'
by America, who ought to hav
known better. France. again, hardl,
mended yet from tho devastation o
| '14-18. naturally sick at seeing
country in her debt forging ahead o
her. ready to take up the swor,
against her old enemy. Then there
nationalities, the Balkans, each nev
state more bumptious and aggressiv
than the other. / tell you, Jimmy.
| any lesson came out Of that wal
| where you fought, and which cos
so much in treasure and blood simpl,
chucked away, tho world has forgot
| ten It."
"why on earth can't they ali settl
down with what they've got and d
q bit Of work." asked. What
at the root OF It all?"
what is the root Of all svi
/ Jimmy3" said Lord Almeric.
That's It," said my father. Mon
ey. Each nation thinks the other 1
making more than itself, and tha
without working for 1t. The grea
cry is unfair competitIonr II on
nation has the wit to think ahsal
to take the right line Of development
to meet q coming want In commerce
it's neighbor yells. Unfair eompsti
tion!"
st know little Of things intsrna
tional," said I to Lord Almeric. "ex
cept concerning my own line. ] hop
there's no chance OF q row bAtwee
your country and ours, sir?"
mo, thank God. There's that com
Portable streak in us both that max Z
us admire a successful rival In trad
rather than Immediately want to Gu
his throat. The shopkseping instinct
If you like--but Of value to our sens
Of proportion. But we may find our
selves on opposite sides, willy-nills
If some Of the hotheads come t
blows. II America had to take q hrr
hand with Japan, what could Britai
do? If she sided with japan, sh
ions, who will not have the Jap O
any consideration. II we in Britai
support America, we should endange
large financial interests we have 1
the East. We should lay our East
ern possessions at the mercy Of tn
yellow people, for nav ChinA woul
he dra rred in. It is an exceedinYl