“I do not believe in war,” he said.  “War has no place in the civilization of the world to-day; but this war was inevitable.  Germany had to expand or be suffocated.  And out of this war good will come for all the world, especially for Europe.  We Germans are the most industrious, the most earnest and the best-educated race on this side of the ocean.  To-day one-fourth of the population of Belgium cannot read and write.  Under German influence illiteracy will disappear from among them.  Russia stands for reaction; England for selfishness and perfidy; France for decadence.  Germany stands for progress.  Do not believe the claims of our foes that our Kaiser wishes to be another Napoleon and hold Europe under his thumb.  What he wants for Germany and what he means to have is, first, breathing room for his people; and after that a fair share of the commercial opportunities of the world.

“German enlightenment and German institutions will do the reSt. And after this war—­if we Germans win it—­there will never be another universal war.”

The soldier spoke last.  He is a captain of field artillery, a member of a distinguished Prussian family, and one of the most noted big-game hunters in Europe.  Three weeks ago, in front of Charleroi, a French sharpshooter put a bullet in him.  It passed through his left forearm, pierced one lung and lodged in the muscles of his breast, where it lies imbedded.  In a week from now he expects to rejoin his command.

To look at him you would never guess that he had so recently been wounded; his color is high and he moves with the stiff, precise alertness of the German army man.  He is still wearing the coat he wore in the fight; there are two ragged little holes in the left sleeve and a puncture in the side of it; and it is spotted with stiff, dry, brown stains.

“I don’t presume to know anything about the political or commercial aspects of this war,” he said over his beer mug; “but I do know this:  War was forced on us by these other Powers.  They were jealous of us and they made the Austrian-Servian quarrel their quarrel.  But when war came we were ready and they were not.

“Not until the mobilization was ordered did the people of Germany know the color of the field uniform of their soldiers; yet four millions of these service uniforms were made and finished and waiting in our military storehouses.  Not until after the first shot was fired did we who are in the army know how many army corps we had, or the names of their commanders, or even the names of the officers composing the general staff.

“A week after we took the field our infantry, in heavy marching order, was covering fifty kilometers a day—­thirty of your American miles—­and doing it day after day without straggling and without any footsore men dropping behind.

“Do these things count in the sum total?  I say they do.  Our army will win because it deserves to win through being ready and being complete and being efficient.  Don’t discount the efficiency of our navy either.  Remember, we Germans have the name of being thorough.  When our fleet meets the British fleet I think you will find that we have a few Krupp surprises for them.”