380 A FARMER'S YEAR 



for stock. The white turnips, on the contrary, have suffered 

 very severely from the drought, but the beet are as good as can 

 be expected upon this land in such a season. 



November 2. To-day some friends came over from Kessing- 

 land to lunch, and informed us that yesterday about midnight 

 most of the Coastguard were telegraphed for with orders to 

 mobilise at Harwich. When even Kessingland is robbed of its 

 protectors in this fashion things begin to look serious, but for my 

 part I do not believe that there will be any war no, not if we 

 annexed Egypt to-morrow, and for the simple reason that all 

 Europe put together could not hold its own against us on the sea. 

 If they wanted to fight us, they ought to have done so ten years 

 ago, but even then I believe that we should have beaten them, 

 although it would have taken longer and cost more money. Con- 

 sider how vast is our strength, not only in money, ships, and 

 guns, but in nations of mankind all the world over, sworn to our 

 service, and in our colonial kindred, who, in most cases at any 

 rate, would fight for us to the last ditch, if for no other reason 

 because our fate must be their fate. The spectacle of the 

 Empire defending itself against a combination of Powers, and 

 putting out all its strength in men and money, would be the 

 most tremendous that the world has ever seen. But although, 

 doubtless, we should meet with reverses, for my part I should 

 be sorry for the Powers, as I believe that within a year they 

 would scarcely have a ship left between them, and not much 

 British territory by way of consolation. One day the rest of 

 the world, or most of it, I suppose, will fling itself at the throats 

 of America and ourselves. That will be the day of Armageddon, 

 after which may come the long peace. But the British Empire 

 and the United States will dictate the terms of that peace. My 

 only fear is one which I mentioned on a previous page, namely, 

 that in the event of a prolonged war we might be driven to con- 

 clude it unsatisfactorily by the clamour of the electorate enraged 

 at the price of bread and other necessaries. Doubtless this is a 



