These ideas Jimmie got from his fellow members in the local, and from the Socialist papers which came each week and from the many speakers he heard.  These speakers were men and women of burning sincerity and with a definite and entirely logical point of view.  Whether they talked about war, crime, prostitution, political corruption, or any other social evil, what they wanted was to tear down the old ramshackle structure, and to put in its place something new and intelligent.  You might possibly bring them to admit slight differences between capitalist governments but when it came to a practical issue, to an action you found that to these people all governments were alike—­and never so much alike as in war-time!

Nor was there ever such need for Socialist protest!  Very quickly it became apparent that it was not going to be an easy matter for America to keep out of this world-vortex.  Because American working men did not get a living wage, and could not buy what they produced, there was a surplus product which had to be sold abroad; so the business of American manufacturers depended upon foreign markets —­and here suddenly were all the principal trading nations of the world plunging in to buy all the American products they could, and to keep their enemies from buying any at all.

A woman speaker came to Leesville a shrewd little body with a sharp tongue, who had these disputes figured out, and gave them in dialogue, as in a play.  Kaiser Bill says, “I want cotton” John Bull says, “You shan’t have it.”  Uncle Sam says, “But he has a right to have it.  Get out of the way, John Bull.”  But John Bull says, “I will hold up your ships and take them into my ports.”  Uncle Sam says, “No, no!  Don’t do that!” But John Bull does it.  And then the Kaiser says, “What sort of a fellow are you to let John Bull steal your ships?  Are you a coward, or are you secretly a friend of this old villain?  Uncle Sam says, “John Bull, give me my German mail and my German newspapers, at least.  But John Bull answers, “You’ve got a lot of German spies in your country—­that’s why I can’t let you have your mail.  You can’t have German papers because the Kaiser fills them full of lies about me.”  And the Kaiser says, “If John Bull won’t let me have my cotton and my meat and all the rest of it, why don’t you stop sending anything to him?” He waits a while, and then he says, “If you won’t stop sending things to that old villain, I’ll sink the ships, that’s all.”  And Uncle Sam cries, “But that’s against the law!” “Whose law?” says the Kaiser.  “What sort of a law is it that works only one way?” “But there are Americans on those ships!” cries Uncle Sam.  “Well, keep them off the ships!” answers the Kaiser.  “Keep them off till John Bull obeys the law.”