按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the truth； mon。〃 （Cheers； uproarious laughter and cries； 〃Go to it； Scotty； down wi' the Sassenach。 Scotland forever！〃）
When peace had once more fallen the Honourable B。 B。 Bomberton went on。 He wished to say that his Scottish friend had misunderstood him。 He was not a Scot himself
〃Ye needna tell us that；〃 said the Scot。 （Renewed cheers and laughter。）
But he would say that the best three…quarters of him was Scotch in that he had a Scotch woman for a wife； and nothing that he had said or could say could be interpreted as casting a slur upon that great and proud and noble race than whom none had taken a larger and more honourable part in the building and the maintaining of the Empire。 But to resume。 The country was asked for the sake of the alleged economic advantage to enter into a treaty with the neighbouring state which he was convinced would perhaps not at first but certainly eventually imperil the Imperial bond。 The country rejected the proposal。 The farmers were offered the double lure of high prices for their produce and a lower price for machinery。 Never was he so proud of the farmers of his country as when they resisted the lure； they refused the bait； they could not be bought； they declined to barter either their independence or their imperial allegiance for gain。 （Cheers； groans； general uproar。）
Upon the subsidence of the uproar Frank Smart who； with Larry； had worked his way forward among a body of students standing in the first row immediately behind the seats； raised his hand and called out in a clear； distinct and courteous voice； 〃Mr。 Chairman； a question if you will permit me。〃 The chairman granted permission。 〃Did I understand the speaker to say that those Canadians who approved of the policy of Reciprocity were ready to barter their independence or their imperial allegiance for gain？ If so； in the name of one half of the Canadian people I want to brand the statement as an infamous and slanderous falsehood。〃
Instantly a thousand people were on their feet cheering； yelling； on the one part shouting； 〃Put him out；〃 and on the other demanding； 〃Withdraw。〃 A half dozen fights started up in different parts of the theatre。 In Smart's immediate vicinity a huge； pugilistic individual rushed toward him and reached for him with a swinging blow； which would undoubtedly have ended for him the meeting then and there had not Larry； who was at his side； caught the swinging arm with an upward cut so that it missed its mark。 Before the blow could be repeated Scudamore； the centre rush of the University football team； had flung himself upon the pugilist； seized him by the throat and thrust him back and back through the crowd； supported by a wedge of his fellow students； striking； scragging； fighting and all yelling the while with cheerful vociferousness。 By the efforts of mutual friends the two parties were torn asunder just as a policeman thrust himself through the crowd and demanded to know the cause of the uproar。
〃Here；〃 he cried； seizing Larry by the shoulder； 〃what does this mean？〃
〃Don't ask me；〃 said Larry； smiling pleasantly at him。 〃Ask that fighting man over there。〃
〃You were fighting。 I saw you；〃 insisted the policeman。
〃Did you？〃 said Larry。 〃I am rather pleased to hear you say it； but I knew nothing of it。〃
〃Look here； Sergeant；〃 shouted Smart above the uproar。 〃Oh； it's you； Mac。 You know me。 You've got the wrong man。 There's the man that started this thing。 He deliberately attacked me。 Arrest him。〃
Immediately there were clamorous counter charges and demands for arrest of Smart and his student crew。
〃Come now；〃 said Sergeant Mac； 〃keep quiet； or I'll be takin' ye all into the coop。〃
Order once more being restored； the speaker resumed by repudiating indignantly the accusation of his young friend。 Far be it from him to impugn the loyalty of the great Liberal party； but he was bound to say that while the Liberals might be themselves loyal both to the Dominion and to the Empire； their policy was disastrous。 They were sound enough in their hearts but their heads were weak。 After some further remarks upon the fiscal issues between the two great political parties and after a final wave of the imperial flag； the speaker declared that he now proposed to leave the rest of the time to their distinguished fellow citizen； the Honourable J。 J。 Allen。
Mr。 Allen found himself facing an audience highly inflamed with passion and alert for trouble。 In a courteous and pleasing introduction he strove to allay their excited feelings and to win for himself a hearing。 The matter which he proposed to bring to their attention was one of the very greatest importance； and one which called for calm and deliberate consideration。 He only asked a hearing for some facts which every Canadian ought to know and for some arguments based thereupon which they might receive or reject according as they appealed to them or not。
〃You are all right； Jim； go to it；〃 cried an enthusiastic admirer。
With a smile Mr。 Allen thanked his friend for the invitation and assured him that without loss of time he would accept it。 He begged to announce his theme： 〃The Imperative and Pressing Duty of Canada to Prepare to do Her Part in Defence of the Empire。〃 He was prepared frankly and without hesitation to make the assertion that war was very near the world and very near our Empire and for the reason that the great military power of Europe； the greatest military power the world had ever seenGermanypurposed to make war； was ready for war； and was waiting only a favourable opportunity to begin。
〃Oh； r…r…rats…s；〃 exclaimed a harsh voice。
〃That's Holtzman；〃 said Larry to Smart。
（Cries of 〃Shut up！Go on。〃）
〃I beg the gentleman who has so courteously interrupted me；〃 continued Mr。 Allen； 〃simply to wait for my facts。〃 （〃Hear！ Hear！〃 from many parts of the building。） The sources of his information were three： first； his own observation during a three months' tour in Germany； second； his conversations with representative men in Great Britain； France and Germany； and third； the experience of a young and brilliant attache of the British Embassy at Berlin now living in Canada； with whom he had been brought into touch by a young University student at present in this city。 From this latter source he had also obtained possession of literature accessible only to a few。 He spoke with a full sense of responsibility and with a full appreciation of the value of words。
The contrast between the Honourable Mr。 Allen and the speaker that preceded him was such that the audience was not only willing but eager to hear the facts and arguments which the speaker claimed to be in a position to offer。 Under the first head he gave in detail the story of his visit to Germany and piled up an amazing accumulation of facts illustrative of Germany's military and naval preparations in the way of land and sea forces； munitions and munition factories； railroad construction； food supplies and financial arrangements in the way of gold reserves and loans。 The preparations for war which； in the world's history； had been made by Great Powers threatening the world's freedom； were as child's play to these preparations now made by Germany； and these which he had given were but a few illustrations of Germany's war preparations； for the more important of these were kept hidden by her from the rest of the world。 〃My argument is that preparation by a nation whose commercial and economic instincts are so strong as those of the German people can only reasonably be interpreted to mean a Purpose to War。 That that purpose exists and that that purpose determines Germany's world's politics； I have learned from many prominent Germans； military and naval officers； professors； bankers； preachers。 And more than that this same purpose can be discovered in the works of many distinguished German writers during the last twenty…five years。 You see this pile of books beside me？ They are filled； with open and avowed declarations of this purpose。 The raison d'etre of the great Pan…German League； of the powerful Navy League with one million and a half members； and of the other great German organisations is war。 Bear with me while I read to you extracts from some of these writings。 I respectfully ask a patient hearing。 I would not did I not feel it to be important that from representative Germans themselves you should learn the dominating purpose that has directed and determined the course of German activity in every department of its national life for the last quarter of a century。〃
For almost half an hour the speaker read extracts from the pile of books on the table beside him。 〃I think I may now fairly claim to have established first the fact of vast preparations by Germany for war and the further fact that Germany cherishes in her heart a settled Purpose of War。〃 It was interesting to know how this purpose had come to be so firmly established in the heart of a people whom we had always considered to be devoted to the cultivation of the gentler arts of peace。 The history of the rise and the development of this Purpose to War would be found in the history of Germany itself。 He then briefly touched upon the outstanding features in the