“Well, Littman,” the newcomer said, with something like a sneer, “your young man on the Argus is mighty high in his tone to-night. What’s up? Didn’t they divvy in Washington?”
“None of that, Max. Ralph Gardner’s not that kind. I don’t know where you people get the idea that all Americans can be bought. They can’t be, and yet this whole business has been based on money. You know I never believed in this. I have been willing to put your case whenever I had the chance. I believe it’s right. I’ll work for Germany in any way I think honest, but I won’t lie and I won’t bribe.”
“You can’t put Germany’s case fully in this country, young man, and you know it. The Americans are a set of sentimental fools. They’re hypocrites, too. Talk about neutrality! The whole bunch is like Cowder. Pitch you out if you suggest selling munitions to even another neutral country. There isn’t a score of manufacturers in this country that wouldn’t rather close their plants than sell to us. Do you call that neutrality?”
“I tell you, Max, it’s the people. You don’t see things as they are at all—it’s not the Government. The Government is not preventing the munition makers from selling to Germany. The trouble is these munition makers here won’t sell to Germany.”
“But what kind of a government is it that cannot control its people? Do you suppose our Kaiser would tolerate that kind of weakness? For the sake of the United States, Otto, you ought to help teach this people what a strong nation really is. If this country expects to live she must learn to obey—learn that masters are necessary. What’s she doing now?—taking the bit in her teeth—thinking and doing what she pleases. She’s elected a President to do her thinking and she won’t follow him—forces him to do what his judgment is against.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why, those notes. Wilson would never have written them if he hadn’t been afraid of the people. He’s too wise.”
“You’re wrong, Max. Wilson thinks just as Sabinsport does and he’s doing a thing the country will back up.”
“They won’t have a chance long. Germany’s patience is failing. We’ll attend to that. If they insist, they’ll get—Otto, you know as well as I do that there won’t be a plant left in this country soon to make munitions if they insist, and there won’t be a vessel on the seas to carry them. We’ll take care of that. You know we can do it. Why, there’s not a factory in the States that our people are not in, and there’s not a vessel out that we can’t split. We’re giving them a chance—appealing to their own fool sentiments. ‘Love peace?’ Well, take peace—don’t love peace and talk hatred of Germany. ‘Hate money made from munitions?’ Well, that’s easy; don’t make ’em. We’re only giving them their own dope, Otto, and they refuse to stand by their own faith. Hypocrites! English! If they won’t take a Labor’s Peace Council, you can be sure they’ll get a first-class explosion party—and that right soon.”
“See here, Max, I can’t follow anything like that. I’m willing to educate my country, but I won’t revenge her because she refuses my teaching. Cut it out.”