"Presently the sound of Big Ben at Westminster boomed across the city. The Germans had not replied. This meant that the Kaiser had played the traitor, that he had torn up the treaty he had signed; and thus when the last stroke of Big Ben sounded across London, the four statesmen looked at each other, and said, 'This means war.' Could they have done any other?" cried the Captain—"could they? No!"
From the hall, rose the many-throated reply, "No, by God, no!"
"Now for another picture," he went on. "It is not in London, not in Whitehall this time; it is in Germany, at Berlin. Our Ambassador there, was speaking to a representative of the German Kaiser, the mouthpiece of the German nation. 'What will you do?' asked the German. 'Surely you English will be neutral?'
"'That depends,' said the Englishman.
"'On what?' queried the German.
"'It depends whether you Germans are going to be true to the treaty you have signed, true to your plighted word.'
"'And if not?' the German asked.
"'In that case,' replied the Englishman, 'we are not going to stand by and see a little state wronged and ruined, because a great nation like Germany, who should keep her word, is playing Belgium false.'
"'Treaty,' questioned the German, 'what is a treaty? Will you go to war with us for that—just for a scrap of paper?'
"'But that scrap of paper means our nation's honour,' the Englishman said.