up in the public places a new god--the god of
Ignorance!

"You have been good enough to corroborate me. And I and my audience
now know that Bolshevism is on its way to America, and that its agents
are already here.

"It is in view of such a danger that this Combat Club has been
organised. And it was time to organise it.

"It is evident, too, that the newspapers agree with us. Let us read
you what one of them has to say:

"'We fully realise the atrocity of the Bolshevik propaganda, which
is really the doctrine of communism and anarchy. We realise the
perilous ferment which endangers civilisation. But in the
countries which have held fast to moral standards during the war
we believe the factors of safety are sufficiently great, the
forces of sanity are far stronger than those of chaos----'"

Here, those whose role it was to interrupt with derisive laughter,
broke out at a preconcerted signal. But Ilse read on:

"'In a word, as a mere matter of self-interest and common sense,
we can only see the people, as a whole, in any country, as opposed
to anarchy in any form. In our own land, even granted that there
are a hundred thousand "red" agitators, or say a quarter of a
million--and we have no real belief that this is so--what are
these in a population of one hundred and five millions? Are the
ninety and nine sane, moral, law abiding men and women going to
allow themselves to be stampeded into ruin by a handful of
criminals and lunatics?

"'We do not for a moment believe it. These agitators and
incendiaries have a sort of maniacal impetus that fills the air
with dust and noise and alarms the credulous. Perhaps it may be
wise to counteract this with a little quiet promotion of ideas of
safety and prosperity, based on order and law. It may be well to
calm the nerves of the timorous and it can do no harm to set in
motion a counter wave of horror and repulsion against those who
are planning to lead the world back to conditions of tribal
savagery. Educational work is always beneficent. Let us have much
of that but no panic. The power of truth and reason is in calm
confidence.'"

And now a bushy-headed man got on his feet and levelled his forefinger
at Ilse: "Take shame for your-selluf!" he shouted. "I know you! You
fought mit Korniloff! You took orders from Kerensky, from aristocrats,
from cadets!"

Ilse said pleasantly. "I fought for Russia, my friend. And when the