ithin Russia and has no need
to go outside Russia. A Russian army of 4,000,000 is not necessary to
self-defence. Its inspiration can be due only to a policy of expansion
at the cost of others, and its aim to extend and to maintain existing
Russian frontiers. As I write it is engaged not in a war of defence
but in a war of invasion, and is the instrument of a policy of avowed
aggression.

Not the protection of the Slavs from Austria, herself so largely a
Slavic power and one that does not need to learn the principles of
good government from Russia, but the incorporation of the Slavs within
the mightiest empire upon earth--this is the main reason why Russia
maintains the mightiest army upon earth. Its threat to Germany, as the
protector of Austria-Hungary, has been clear, and if we would find
the reason for German militarism we shall find at least one half of it
across the Russian frontier.

The huge machine of the French army, its first line troops almost
equal to Germany's, is not a thing of yesterday.

It was not German aggression founded it--although Germany felt it once
at Jena. Founded by kings of France, French militarism has flourished
under republic, empire, constitutional monarchy, and empire again
until to-day we find its greatest bloom full blown under the mild
breath of the third republic. What is the purpose of this perfect
machine? Self-defence? From what attack? Germany has had it in her
power, again and again within the last thirty years to attack
France at a disadvantage, if not even with impunity. Why has she
refrained--whose hand restrained her? Not Russia's--not England's.
During the Russo-Japanese war or during the Boer war, France could
have been assailed with ease and her army broken to pieces. But German
militarism refrained from striking that blow. The object of the great
army France maintains is not to be found in reasons of self-defence,
but may be found, like that of Russia in hopes of armed expansion.
Since the aim in both cases was the same, to wage a war of aggression
to be termed of "recovery" in one case and "protection" in the other,
it was not surprising that Czar and President should come together,
and that the cause of the Slavs should become identified with the
cause of Strasburg.

To "protect" the Slavs meant assailing Austria-Hungary (another way of
attacking Germany), and to "recover" Strasburg meant a _mes-alliance_
between democrat of France and Cossack of the Don.

We co