The Soul of the War

, remembering the tour which I had

om prominent public men who might desire out of their intellectual friendship to us to pour oil on the troubled waters which had been profoundly stirred by our

n and municipalities of both countries. But he was a little restrained and awkward in his manners when I handed him my letter of introduction. Presently he left the room for a few minutes and I saw on his desk a German newspaper with a leading article signed by his name. I read it and was amazed to find that it was a viole

ssion of good will f

an angry interview w

iend of the Kaiser, t

dmirer o

room with noiseless foo

. Such acts are not to be tolerated by a great nation like ours. T

influences which should hold me

must always preach

false to the s

sult him, and in a little while h

er of the Social Democrats, could giv

istake. If war were declared to-morrow the Social Democrats would march as one man in defence of the Fatherland. . . . And y

iration for English sports, and asked my opinion about the merits of various English boxers of whom I had to confess great ignorance. They were good friendly fellows and I liked them. In various towns of Germany I found myself admiring the cheerful, bustling gemutlichkeit of the people, the splendid organization of their civic life, their industry and national spirit. Walking among them sometimes, I used to ponder over the possibility of that unvermeidliche krieg-that "unavoidable war" which was being discussed in all the newspapers. Did these people want war with Eng