“And remember, that he is the most glorious hero of our time!  History looks leniently upon his heroic feat.  Who would accuse the one who triumphs? . . .  Professor Hans Delbruck has written with reason, ‘Blessed be the hand that falsified the telegram of Ems!’”

It was convenient to have the war break out immediately, in order that events might result favorably for Germany, whose enemies are totally unprepared.  Preventive war was recommended by General Bernhardi and other illustrious patriots.  It would be dangerous indeed to defer the declaration of war until the enemies had fortified themselves so that they should be the ones to make war.  Besides, to the Germans what kind of deterrents could law and other fictions invented by weak nations possibly be? . . .  No; they had the Power, and Power creates new laws.  If they proved to be the victors, History would not investigate too closely the means by which they had conquered.  It was Germany that was going to win, and the priests of all cults would finally sanctify with their chants the blessed war—­if it led to triumph.

“We are not making war in order to punish the Servian regicides, nor to free the Poles, nor the others oppressed by Russia, stopping there in admiration of our disinterested magnanimity.  We wish to wage it because we are the first people of the earth and should extend our activity over the entire planet.  Germany’s hour has sounded.  We are going to take our place as the powerful Mistress of the World, the place which Spain occupied in former centuries, afterwards France, and England to-day.  What those people accomplished in a struggle of many years we are going to bring about in four months.  The storm-flag of the Empire is now going to wave over nations and oceans; the sun is going to shine on a great slaughter. . . .

“Old Rome, sick unto death, called ‘barbarians’ the Germans who opened the grave.  The world to-day also smells death and will surely call us barbarians. . . .  So be it!  When Tangiers and Toulouse, Amberes and Calais have become submissive to German barbarism . . . then we will speak further of this matter.  We have the power, and who has that needs neither to hesitate nor to argue. . . .  Power! . . .  That is the beautiful word—­the only word that rings true and clear. . . .  Power!  One sure stab and all argument is answered forever!”

“But are you so sure of victory?” asked Desnoyers.  “Sometimes Destiny gives us great surprises.  There are hidden forces that we must take into consideration or they may overturn the best-laid plans.”

The smile of the Doctor became increasingly scornful and arrogant.  Everything had been foreseen and studied out long ago with the most minute Germanic method.  What had they to fear? . . .  The enemy most to be reckoned with was France, incapable of resisting the enervating moral influences, the sufferings, the strain and the privations of war;—­a nation physically debilitated and so poisoned by revolutionary spirit that it had laid aside the use of arms through an exaggerated love of comfort.