Such was the prevailing mood of the nation when they perceived Germany, under the lead of her Emperor, following up her expressions of enmity by starting with restless energy to build up a formidable fleet, adding programme to programme, out of all possible proportion to the German commerce to be defended or to the German coastline exposed to attack.  Already vainglorious boasts were made that Germany was the successor to Britain upon the seas.  “The Admiral of the Atlantic greets the Admiral of the Pacific,” said the Kaiser later in a message to the Czar.  What was Britain to do under this growing menace?  So long as she was isolated the diplomacy of Germany might form some naval coalition against her.  She took the steps which were necessary for her own safety, and without forming an alliance she composed her differences with France and Russia and drew closer the friendship which united her with her old rival across the Channel.  The first fruit of the new German fleet was the entente cordiale.  We had found our enemy.  It was necessary that we should find our friends.  Thus we were driven into our present combination.

* * * * *

And now we had to justify our friendship.  For the first time we were compelled to openly oppose Germany in the deep and dangerous game of world politics.  They wished to see if our understanding was a reality or a sham.  Could they drive a wedge between us by showing that we were a fair-weather friend whom any stress would alienate?  Twice they tried it, once in 1906 when they bullied France into a conference at Algeciras but found that Britain was firm at her side, and again in 1911 when in a time of profound peace they stirred up trouble by sending a gunboat to Agadir, and pushed matters to the very edge of war.  But no threats induced Britain to be false to her mutual insurance with France.  Now for the third and most fatal time they have demanded that we forswear ourselves and break our own bond lest a worse thing befall us.  Blind and foolish, did they not know by past experience that we would keep our promise given?  In their madness they have wrought an irremediable evil to themselves, to us, and to all Europe.

I have shown that we have in very truth never injured nor desired to injure Germany in commerce nor have we opposed her politically until her own deliberate actions drove us into the camp of her opponents.  But it may well be asked why then did they dislike us, and why did they weave hostile plots against us?  It was that, as it seemed to them, and as indeed it actually may have been, we, independently of our own wills, stood between Germany and that world empire of which she dreamed.  This was caused by circumstances over which we had no control and which we could not modify if we had wished to do so.  Britain, through her maritime power and the energy of her merchants and people, had become a great world power when Germany was still unformed.  Thus, when she had grown