nimates the
Christian law of brotherly love."

Grand Duke Michael raised his hand in interruption. "Alexander
Nicolaievitch," he said, turning to the Secretary, "do not omit to write
down this last sentence WORD FOR WORD."

The Secretary of State made a short pause, only to continue with a
somewhat louder voice and in a more emphatic tone--

"No especial assurance is required that, in view of this, our noble
liege lord's exalted frame of mind, a breach of the world's peace could
not possibly come from our side. But our national honour is a sacred
possession, which we can never permit others to assail, and the attack
which Japan has made upon us in the Far East forced us to defend it
sword in hand. There is not a single right-minded man in the whole world
who could level a reproach at us for this war, which has been forced
upon us. But in our present danger a law of self-preservation impels
us to inquire whether Japan is, after all, the only and the real enemy
against whom we have to defend ourselves; and there are substantial
reasons for believing that this question should be answered in the
negative. His Majesty's Government is convinced that we are indebted
for this attack on the part of Japan solely to the constant enmity of
England, who never ceases her secret machinations against us. It has
been England's eternal policy to damage us for her own aggrandisement.
All our endeavours to promote the welfare of this Empire and make the
peoples happy have ever met with resistance on the part of England.
From the China Seas, throughout all Asia to the Baltic, England has ever
thrown obstacles in our way, in order to deprive us of the fruits of our
civilising policy. No one of us doubts for a moment that Japan is, in
reality, doing England's work. Moreover, in every part of the globe
where our interests are at stake, we encounter either the open or covert
hostility of England. The complications in the Balkans and in Turkey,
which England has incited and fostered by the most despicable methods,
have simply the one object in view--to bring us into mortal conflict
with Austria and Germany. Yet nowhere are Great Britain's real aims
clearer seen than in Central Asia. With indescribable toil and with
untold sacrifice of treasure and blood our rulers have entered the
barren tracts of country lying between the Black Sea and the Caspian,
once inhabited by semibarbarous tribes, and, further east again, the
lands stretching away to