3 88 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



the rapid increase of her population overflowed into the New 

 World ; and it was apparent that without any further war she 

 was already taking that place in the sun which she desired and 

 deserved. She was secure in her own boundaries, not only by 

 her continued practice of universal service, but by her alliance 

 with two other great states ; and there appeared to be no cause 

 why she should not be content. 



Unfortunately she was not content. There remained on either 

 side of her two great nations with which she had not been re- 

 cently at war, Russia and Britain. War with the former was not 

 advised by her statesmen, and would promise too little benefit, 

 even in the case of victory. But it was othewise with us. Britain 

 still remained mistress of the seas ; her enormous colonies, 

 commerce, and prosperity always led to envy, and perhaps to 

 unworthy ambitions ; and it was soon seen by every one that 

 Germany began to point her sword in this direction. 



It was also evident that Britain did not, and perhaps 

 would not, perceive the truth. The British, proud of their 

 prosperity, had acquired the carelessness of prosperity. 

 Guarded by the seas, they scarcely conceived the possibility 

 of attack from an inland state. They had obtained their own 

 empire, not by the military arts of Macedon, Rome, and Germany, 

 but mostly by peaceful colonisation and commerce, enforced 

 only when necessary by war. It was we who had chiefly 

 created the great modern developments of industry and trans- 

 port by machinery, and who had invented most of the great 

 weapons of to-day and those immense floating machines of war 

 of which our navy is composed. But the British were generous 

 in all things. If they had wished it they might then have 

 seized the colonies of almost every other nation ; but they 

 coveted none of them. Everywhere Germans were welcomed 

 in British territory, were allowed to trade under our flag, 

 were shown the secrets of our industries and even of our 

 armaments, were allowed to acquire wealth, titles, and influence 

 in Britain itself. For centuries we had remained the friends 

 of our relatives the Germans. We had not opposed them in 

 their ambitions. We raised no tariff barriers against them. 

 We made no war upon their commerce, but gave to them and 

 to all an open entry and an equal chance. There was therefore 

 no reason based upon racial animosity or past disfavours to 

 urge Germany to attack us. But what really happened ? In 



