All for a Scrap of Paper Part 23

Of course the Emperor was sincere and conscientious in all this mountebankism, but he was a menace and a blighting danger all the same.

Mohammed was earnest and sincere when he led his wild armies forward crying, "Death or conversion!" Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain were earnest and conscientious when they roasted the Moors of Spain in the name of the Holy Church and Jesus the Saviour of the world. Torquemada was earnest and conscientious as the Grand Inquisitor who burnt heretics who could not accept his doctrines.

But that did not make this German menace any the less dangerous.

Rather it increased the danger. The military caste, the ruling caste in Germany, they who had been planning and preparing for war, and looked upon it as a duty, had no moral standard to which a Christian could appeal. Their right was our wrong. It would be as easy to argue with a virus-toothed tiger as to argue with them. They had accepted the terrible religion of the duty of war as the faith of the nation, and nothing but equal or superior force would stop them in their onward march.

This explained the terrible stories in which Bob had not hitherto been able to believe. The ghastly outrages at Louvain, the unspeakable deeds at Malines. They were all a part of the same ghastly creed.

"A sacrifice made to an alien nation," said Treitschke, "is immoral. . . .

"Among all political sins, the sin of feebleness is the most contemptible. It is the political sin against the Holy Ghost."

It also explained their violation of the Belgian treaty. Bernhardi argued most earnestly, that if a treaty placed a difficulty in the way of a great nation's realising its purposes, then it was not only justifiable, but the duty of that nation to break that treaty.

"We must not hold back in the hard struggle for the sovereignty of the world," he argued.

Every nation that stood in their way must be swept aside. For that Germany had been for years building up her "invincible army," and filling her war chests. Protection was no part of her policy; it was for ever and always, aggression, aggression. How can Germany obtain the sovereignty of the world?

Again Bob found that these Germans regarded England as their greatest hindrance to the fulfilment of their dreams. Therefore the question arose as to how England could be swept aside. It was all a matter of calculation. Laying down the basic principles that war was a necessity and a duty, and that Germany must dominate the world, all the rest followed as a natural consequence.

The nations of Europe were like so many pieces on a chessboard. They must be made strong, or destroyed just as the occasion fitted in with Germany's plans. Thus for the present Italy must be strengthened, and Turkey must be supported, but the power of France must be destroyed.

Why? What harm was France doing? That was not the question. France stood in the way of Germany's ambitions, therefore France must be crushed.

"_In one way or another,_" said Bernhardi, "_we must square our account with France. This is the first and foremost condition of a sound German policy. This must be settled by force of arms_. FRANCE MUST BE SO COMPLETELY CRUSHED THAT SHE CAN NEVER AGAIN COME ACROSS OUR PATH."

As I said, Bob had arisen from his chair and thrown the book from him.

It in itself was a crime. The cold, calculating immorality of its teaching was revolting. He felt as though he had been wading through filth.

"There is nothing for it," he cried, "but to destroy it root and branch. Great G.o.d, this is a Holy War. It is Christ's war!"

He saw everything in a new light. Yes, war was a crime, it was "h.e.l.l let loose," but by no other means could this poisonous l.u.s.t for war be destroyed.

"He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one!"

Who said that?

He remembered that they were the words of Jesus just before His crucifixion. They were not uttered lightly, they contained the essence of a great truth.

What did Jesus mean?

Again He said, "I came not to bring peace on earth, but a sword."

Bob walked to and fro in the room in his excitement. Did not Christ have such a problem as now faced him in His mind when He uttered these words?

Here was a great military caste which threatened, nay, destroyed, the peace of the world. That caste was so poisoned by the virus of war, that to reason with it was impossible. To appeal to it on moral grounds was a waste of breath, simply because there was no common ground of appeal.

What then? Must this great immoral force be allowed to menace the world?

He thought of his long-cherished dream. _War against war_. Why, every sword drawn in this war was drawn in the interests of peace? Overthrow this great War G.o.d, and this might be the last European war.

He thought of all his old arguments. "I say unto you, love your enemies, do good to them that hate you." The spirit of it all was, Live by the law of Love.

He did not hate the Germans. Millions of them were quiet, industrious, honest people. Left alone, they would pursue peaceful avocations, kindly, and with good intent. But they were under the reign of the War G.o.d, they were turned into killing-machines to satisfy the ambition of a great military caste which ruled the Empire and enforced its will.

The practical effect of love was service. It would be the greatest blessing that could befall this German people if this War G.o.d could be destroyed, crushed to atoms. Then the people would be free to live their own lives.

"I'll enlist!" he cried excitedly. "It is a great duty! It's service for Christ!"

The thought staggered him. Where were all his old qualms and objections? He hated war as much as ever. He still longed for peace with a consuming pa.s.sion; and it was because he longed for peace, and because he was trying to be a Christian, that he felt the call of G.o.d!

This war caste in Germany was like a great cancer growing in the heart of Europe. Its poisonous roots had found their way into the vitals of the German Empire, and the thing threatened to destroy the best life of the world. If the Kaiser and his hosts won in this war, it would keep the spirit of war more alive than ever. It would mean the destruction of liberty, it would mean the impossibility of peace; and more, it would mean that in future every country would be forced to increase its armaments, to the ruin of the best life of the people, in order to protect themselves from this evil power.

German culture! What was it worth in the last a.n.a.lysis? It was a resort to barbarism and savagery, and brutal arrogance.

No, no, the poisonous cancer must be cut out. The power of the German war caste must be destroyed so that the people might live in peace.

Christianity stood for brotherhood, purity, truth, honour, love, mercy--it stood for the peace of the world, while this War G.o.d of Germany stood like a great Colossus making all these things impossible.

Bob felt as though a great burden had fallen from him! His eyes were opened! His duty was clear!

The next morning he found his way to a recruiting station which he had previously noticed. All hesitation had gone. Not a suggestion of his old qualms occurred to him. He had no more doubt about his duty to fight in this quarrel than he would have doubted about his duty if a mad dog were in the district.

When he arrived at the station, a number of young men had gathered.

Some belonged to the poorest and most uneducated cla.s.ses; but in the main they were clerks, a.s.sistants in shops, and young tradesmen. A few of them, Bob judged, were of the professional cla.s.s. They were in a group by themselves, and did not seem at home amidst their present surroundings. They looked curiously towards Bob as he came up, and seemed to be carefully summing him up.

Bob nodded in a friendly way.

"Joining?" asked one.

"Yes," replied Bob.

"Had any previous training?"

"O.T.C."

"While you were at school?"

"Yes."

"Which?"

"Clifton."

"Good! I know some of the chaps there. I was at Marlborough. We used to play cricket and football with Clifton. What years were you there?"

Bob was about to reply, when a motor-car drove up, and a tall, military-looking man got out.

He looked around him, and then seemed to be about to pa.s.s into the building when his eyes rested on Bob. He immediately came towards him.