the illustrious prince-第50节

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your　very　existence。　The　love　of　his　Motherland　is　no　longer　a　religion　with　your　young　man。　Let　me　repeat　that；I　will　alter　one　word　only。　The　love　of　his　Motherland　is　no　longer　THE　religion　or　even　part　of　the　religion　of　your　young　man。　Soldiering　is　a　profession　for　those　who　embrace　it。　It　is　so　that　mercenaries　are　made。　I　have　been　to　every　one　of　your　great　cities　in　the　North。　I　have　been　there　on　a　Saturday　afternoon；　the　national　holiday。　That　is　the　day　in　Japan　on　which　our　young　men　march　and　learn　to　shoot；　form　companies　and　attend　their　drill。　Feast　days　and　holidays　it　is　always　the　same。　They　do　what　tradition　has　made　a　necessity　for　them。　They　do　it　without　grumbling；　whole…heartedly；　with　an　enthusiasm　which　has　in　it　something　almost　of　passion。　How　do　I　find　the　youth　of　your　country　engaged？　I　have　discovered。　It　is　for　that　purpose　that　I　have　toured　through　England。　They　go　to　see　a　game　played　called　football。　They　sit　on　seats　and　smoke　and　shout。　They　watch　a　score　of　performersone　score；　mindand　the　numbers　who　watch　them　are　millions。　》From　town　to　town　I　went；　and　it　was　always　the　same。　I　see　their　white　faces　in　a　huge　amphitheatre；　fifteen　thousand　here；　twenty　thousand　there；　thirty　thousand　at　another　place。　They　watch　and　they　shout　while　these　men　in　the　arena　play　with　great　skill　this　wonderful　game。　When　the　match　is　over；　they　stream　into　public　houses。　Their　afternoon　has　been　spent。　They　talk　it　over。　Again　they　smoke　and　drink。　So　it　is　in　one　town　and　another；so　it　is　everywhere；the　strangest　sight　of　all　that　I　have　seen　in　Europe。　These　are　your　young　men；　the　material　out　of　which　the　coming　generation　must　be　fashioned？　How　many　of　them　can　shoot？　How　many　of　them　can　ride？　How　many　of　them　have　any　sort　of　uniform　in　which　they　could　prepare　to　meet　the　enemy　of　their　country？　What　do　they　know　or　care　for　anything　outside　their　little　lives　and　what　they　call　their　love　of　sport；they　who　spend　five　days　in　your　grim　factories　toiling　before　machines；their　one　afternoon；　content　to　sit　and　watch　the　prowess　of　others！　I　speak　to　these　footballers　themselves。　They　are　strong　men　and　swift。　They　are　paid　to　play　this　game。　I　do　not　find　that　even　one　of　them　is　competent　to　strike　a　blow　for　his　country　if　she　needs　him。　It　is　because　of　your　young　men；　then；　Mr。　Haviland；　that　I　cannot　advise　Japan　to　form　a　new　alliance　with　you。　It　is　because　you　are　not　a　serious　people。　It　is　because　the　units　of　your　nation　have　ceased　to　understand　that　behind　the　life　of　every　great　nation　stands　the　love　of　God；　whatever　god　it　may　be；　and　the　love　of　Motherland。　These　things　may　not　be　your　fault。　They　may；　indeed；　be　the　terrible　penalty　of　success。　But　no　one　who　lives　for　ever　so　short　a　time　amongst　you　can　fail　to　see　the　truth。　You　are　commercialized　out　of　all　the　greatness　of　life。　Forgive　me；　all　of　you；　that　I　say　it　so　plainly；　but　you　are　a　race　who　are　on　the　downward　grade；　and　Japan　seeks　for　no　alliance　save　with　those　whose　faces　are　lifted　to　the　skies。〃

The　pause　which　followed　was　in　itself　significant。　The　Duke　alone　remained　impassive。　Bransome's　face　was　dark　with　anger。　Even　the　Prime　Minister　was　annoyed。　Bransome　would　have　spoken；　but　the　former　held　out　his　hand　to　check　him。

〃If　that　is　really　your　opinion　of　us；　Prince；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　useless　to　enter　into　argument　with　you；　especially　as　you　have　already　acted　upon　your　convictions。　I　should　like　to　ask　you　this　question；　though。　A　few　weeks　ago　an　appeal　was　made　to　our　young　men　to　bring　up　to　its　full　strength　certain　forces　which　have　been　organized　for　the　defence　of　the　country。　Do　you　know　how　many　recruits　we　obtained　in　less　than　a　month？〃

〃Fourteen　thousand　four　hundred　and　seventy…five；〃　the　Prince　answered　promptly；　〃out　of　nearly　seven　millions　who　were　eligible。　This　pitiful　result　of　itself　might　have　been　included　amongst　my　arguments　if　I　had　felt　that　arguments　were　necessary。　Mr。　Haviland；　you　may　drive　some　of　these　young　men　to　arms　by　persuasion；　by　appealing　to　them　through　their　womankind　or　their　employers；　but　you　cannot　create　a　national　spirit。　And　I　tell　you；　and　I　have　proved　it；　that　the　national　spirit　is　not　there。　I　will　go　further；〃　the　Prince　continued　with　increased　earnestness；　〃if　you　still　are　not　weary　of　the　subject。　I　will　point　out　to　you　how　little　encouragement　the　youth　of　this　country　receive　from　those　who　are　above　them　in　social　station。　In　every　one　of　your　counties　there　is　a　hunt；　cricket　clubs；　golf　clubs　in　such　numbers　that　their　statistics　absolutely　overwhelm　me。　Everywhere　one　meets　young　men　of　leisure；　well　off；　calmly　proposing　to　settle　down　and　spend　the　best　part　of　their　lives　in　what　they　call　country　life。　They　will　look　after　their　estates；　they　will　hunt　a　little；　shoot　a　little；　go　abroad　for　two　months　in　the　winter；　play　golf　a　little；　lawn　tennis；　perhaps；　or　cricket。　I　tell　you　that　there　are　hundreds　and　thousands　of　these　young　men；　with　money　to　spare；　who　have　no　uniform　which　they　could　wear；no；　I　want　to　change　that！〃　the　Prince　cried　with　an　impressive　gesture；〃who　have　no　uniform　which　they　will　be　able　to　wear　when　the　evil　time　comes！　How　will　they　feel　then；　these　young　men　of　family；　whose　life　has　been　given　to　sports　and　to　idle　amusements；　when　their　womankind　come　shrieking　to　them　for　protection　and　they　dare　not　even　handle　a　gun　or　strike　a　blow！　They　must　stand　by　and　see　their　lands　laid　waste；　their　womankind　insulted。　They　must　see　the　land　run　red　with　the　blood　of　those　who　offer　a　futile　resistance；　but　they　themselves　must　stand　by　inactive。　They　are　not　trained　to　fight　as　soldiers；they　cannot　fight　as　civilians。〃

〃The　Prince　forgets；〃　Bransome　remarked　dryly；　〃that　an　invasion　of　this　countrya　practical　invasionis　very　nearly　an　impossible　thing。〃

The　Prince　laughed　softly。

〃My　friend；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　thought　that　you　believed　that；　although　you　are　a　Cabinet　Minister　of　England　I　should　think　that　you　were　the　biggest　fool　who　ever　breathed。　Today；　in　warfare；　nothing　is　impossible。　I　will　guarantee；　I　who　have　had　only　ten　years　of　soldiering；　that　if　Japan　were　where　Holland　is　today；　I　would　halve　my　strength　in　ships　and　I　would　halve　my　strength　in　men；　and　I　would　overrun　your　country　with　ease　at　any　time　I　chose。　You　need　not　agree　with　me；　of　course。　It　is　not　a　subject　which　we　need　discuss。　It　is；　perhaps；　out　of　my　province　to　allude　to　it。　The　feeling　which　I　have　in　my　heart　is　this。　The　laws　of　history　are　incontrovertible。　So　surely　as　a　great　nation　has　weakened　with　prosperity；　so　that　her　limbs　have　lost　their　suppleness　and　her　finger　joints　have　stiffened；　so　surely　does　the　plunderer　come　in　good　time。　The　nation　which　loses　its　citizen　army　drives　the　first　nail　into　its　own　coffin。　I　do　not　say　who　will　invade　you；　or　when；　although；　to　my　thinking；　any　one　could　do　it。　I　simply　say　that　in　your　present　state　invasion　from　some　one　or　other　is　a　sure　thing。〃

〃Without　admitting　the　truth　of　a　single　word　you　have　said；　my　dear　Prince；〃　the　Prime　Minister　remarked；　〃there　is　another　aspect　of　the　whole　subject　which　I　think　that　you　should　consider。　If　you　find　us　in　so　parlous　a　state；　it　is　surely　scarcely　dignified　or　gracious；　on　the　part　of　a　great　nation　like　yours；　to　leave　us　so　abruptly　to　our　fate。　Supposing　it　were　true　that　we　were　suffering　a　little　from　a　period　of　too　lengthened　prosperity；　from　an　attack　of　over…confidence。　Still　think　of　the　part　we　have　played　in　the　past。　We　kept　the　world　at　bay　while　you　fought　with　Russia。〃

〃That；〃　the　Prince　replied；　〃was　one　of　the　conditions　of　a　treaty　which　has　expired。　If　by　that　treaty　our　country　profited　more　than　yours；　that　is　still　no　reason　why　we　should　renew　it　under　altered　conditions。　Gratitude　is　an　admirable　sentiment；　but　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　making　of　treaties。〃

〃We　are；　nevertheless；〃　Bransome　declared；　〃justified　in　pointing　out　to　you　some　of　the　advantages　which　you　have　gained　from　your　alliance　with　us。　You　realize；　I　suppose；　that　save　for　our　intervention　the　United　States　would　have　declared　war　against　you　four　months　ago？〃

〃Your　good　offices　were　duly　acknowledged　by　my　Government；〃　the　Prince　admitted。　〃Yet　what　you　did　was　in　itself　of　no　consequence。　It　is　as　sure　as　north　is　north　and　south　is　south　that　you　and　America　would　never　quarrel　for　the　sake　of　Japan。　That　is　another　reason；　if　another　reason　is　needed；　why　a　treaty　between　us　would　be　valueless。　You　and　Ithe　whole　world　knows　that　before　a　cycle　of　years　have　passed　Japan　and　America　must　fight。　When　that　time　comes；　it　will　not　be　you　who　will　help　us。〃

〃An　alliance　duly　concluded　between　this　country〃

The　Prince　held　out　both　his　hands。

〃Listen；〃　he　said。　〃A　fortnight　ago　a　certain　person　in　America　wrote　and　asked　you　in　plain　terms　what　your　position　would　be　if　war　between　Japan　and　America　were　declared。　What　was　your　reply？〃

Bransome　was　on　the　point　of　exclaiming；　but　the　Prime　Minister　intervened。

〃You　appear　to　be　a　perfect　Secret　Service　to　yourself；　Prince；〃　he　said　smoothly。　〃Perhaps　you　can　also　tell　us　our　reply？〃

〃I　can　tell　you　this　much；〃　the　Prince　answered。　〃