i6o Hoiv to Pay for the War 



such prodigal sons counts for more than the money itself. 

 As these sons grow older, perhaps the romance of Empire, 

 whilst losing none of its force and impelling power, 

 will not prevent its worshipper from being practical and 

 glad to receive payment whilst still being able to realize 

 that there is romance even in the most prosaic business, 

 that leaves mere wealth-earning far behind, although, be it 

 remembered, the very doing so urges on the laggard to 

 further effort in order to get his share. Romance, because 

 he has not entered into tlie competition himself can, there- 

 fore, well be described as the pacemaker for those who 

 race to grow rich, and this is why men who try to do 

 without her seldom succeed in the long run. These good 

 knights, therefore, fighting for their country, might just as 

 well receive their share of the profits, for big profits are 

 bound to be made, and if they do not take their share it will 

 only go elsewhere, probably to one who has done far less to 

 deserve it. We have been willing too long to do the fighting 

 and pioneer work, and having opened up the country and 

 made trade possible, to leave others (and as often as not it is 

 a German) to scoop in the profit. Our future knights of 

 the Empire, therefore, must be both practical as well as 

 romantic, and not allow the trade routes we cut out to 

 lead to anywhere and everywhere but London. 



During the lecture we were told that our policy should 

 be, as it was when we laid the foundations of our com- 

 mercial supremacy in South America, viz.. Help South 

 A merica to help herself, to the mutual advantage of both sides. 



" Since the begmning of the War, Germany," Miss 

 Browne urged, " has published a ' Prophetic ' Map of 

 South America, with most of the Republics re-allocated 

 as German territory. That is equivalent to a prophetic 

 robbery of British railways, banking and mining interests 

 in South America, and we should take it as a warning to 

 use every means in our power to prevent Germany from 

 further developing belligerent machinations under the name 

 of ' trade.' We must put our commercial supremacy in 

 South America on a footing that is considerably more 

 secure than is the case now. 



" It is often argued that when peace has been declared 

 we cannot continue to treat Germany as an enemy. Is it 

 not equally moral and logical to argue that we must help 

 to keep Germany out of temptation's reach and give her 

 a chance to win back her honour ? For Germany, there 

 can be no ' peace with honour ' ; that hardest of all tasks, 

 to win honour after being dishonoured before the whole 



