’Month after month passed by, and Britain and her Allies fought Humanity’s fight; and the murder of men went on.

’At last we came of age, and our young men stormed across the seas, not to save America—­for we had nothing to fear—­but to rid the world of an intolerable curse.  Look fearlessly at the truth, but do not forget that when we went it was for an ideal—­just as years before, when North and South fought the issue of preserving the Union, the impulse that drove our fathers on to their deaths was their souls’ demand of freedom for the negro.  By her delay was America defamed; by the spirit of her coming was she great.’

Selwyn put down his pen, and rested his head between his hands.  Ten minutes passed before he looked up and began to write again.

’The war is over. America is debtor to the world.  Read this, my son, with both humility and pride—­humility that it is so, pride that we yet can pay.

’Those awful years while we stood apart, the homes of Britain gave their sons—­the sons for whom their parents yearned, as I am yearning now for you.  Through Britain’s broken hearts, and through the grief of women throughout the world, the youth of America were saved.  I know that we have our thousands of stricken homes and ruined lives, but the end of the war left America debtor to civilisation, even though she gave the strength which brought the war to an end.

’Faced with our indebtedness, what did we do?

’Europe lay stricken.  The spectres of ruin, starvation, anarchy, hovered about her form.  The world was through with war; men groped for light; and from the peoples of the earth a universal cry went up that these things must not be.

’It was our chance.  We still were strong.  We held the charter of mankind within our hands, and men looked to us.  Over prostrate Europe the conquering nations gathered, and men in all the distant corners of the earth listened for the voice of him who would cry in the wilderness that a new age was born.

’Vital days went by.  At last the man who spoke for us outlined his plan that all the Powers of the world should join together in a covenant that war should be no more.

’Men waited, and still waited.  The plan was argued, ridiculed, applauded—­and sucked of its inspiration by talk.  Already the agony of Man was hardening into the cynicism of despair.  Nations that had bled together grew wary and drew apart.

’And still men waited, for they knew that only America’s voice could allay the clamour.  Then we spoke.  Angered by the methods of our leader, angered by the spirit of revenge that was settling over Europe, angered by delay, once more we failed to see the great truths written across the face of the sun.

’America—­debtor to the world—­America cried out that she alone of all the nations would stand aloof.  Let history gloss it over as it will, we held back the hand of succour that Europe craved for.