d to the level of brute force. As far as I can
read the newspapers, never, since the first few months of the war, or at
least very rarely, has there been any endeavour to make the people
realize this ghastly business from a religious standpoint, while the
soldiers never hear a word from week end to week end of the purposes for
which they are fighting.'

'You can't make soldiers religious if they don't want to be,' said the
Minister, weakly I thought.

'I don't say you can,' replied Edgecumbe, 'but you can do something to
lift the whole thing above its present sordid level, and give them a high
and holy courage.'

'They _have_ courage,' replied the Minister. 'As you have been at the
front, you know what a splendid lot of men they are.'

'No man knows better,--a finer lot of fellows never breathed. But look
at facts, think of the forces which have opposed them, and remember how
they have been handicapped? Drink has been one of our great curses in
this country; it has been one of our greatest hindrances. Even the Prime
Minister insisted upon it almost pathetically. When we lacked munitions,
and our men were being killed for want of them, drink was the principal
interest to their manufacture. You of course know what Mr. Lloyd George
said in 1915: "Without spending one penny on additional structures,
without putting down a single additional machine, without adding to the
supervision of the men, but on the contrary lessening the supervision, we
could, by putting down the drink, by one act of sacrifice on the part of
the nation, win through to victory for our country." Yet the Government
has only played with the drink question, as far as the country is
concerned, and it has kept on supplying it to the boys abroad. Everyone
knows it has lowered the standard of our national life, intellectually,
morally, and spiritually. And yet the thing continues. Is that the way
to fight God's battles? Vested interests seem of more importance than
purity and righteousness, while the men who make huge fortunes out of
this traffic are coroneted.'

'Good night, Luscombe,' said the Cabinet Minister rising. 'I must be
going now. This conversation has been very interesting, but I am afraid
I cannot see as your friend sees.'

A few minutes later, we stood outside the great Government building. We
were in the heart of London, the great city which so largely focuses the
life of our world-wide Empire. Close to us, the towers of th