“The time has come, Murrell, when some on us in this City has got to do a bit o’ clear thinkin’. But before we can do anything we must have the dust out of our eyes. What is the Universal Press up to?--that’s the first question to ask ourselves. For years it has been preaching Disarmament in one column and quoting Rudyard Kipling in the next. You may be very bright and clever and quite well up in your business, but oil and vitriol don’t always mix. Seems to me, Murrell, it’s time we came to brass tacks.” Alderman Murrell and his fellow Imperialists sat up now and took notice. They had always been proud to think that Sir Munt whose force of will and breadth of view they deeply admired was one of themselves. He was very much one of themselves in point of fact. Was he not a trustee of the Club and permanent chairman of its house committee? For him to break loose in this unprecedented manner was indeed significant. “I’ve just been having a heart-to-heart talk with Mr. Endor.” A swift exchange of glances between the sconce-bearers of Sir Munt confirmed them in the view that he undoubtedly had. “He says the long and short o’ the matter is, the U. P. is trying to force the Government into a war with China.” Sensation! “The prime minister is against it, but the Cabinet is in such fear of what the U. P. can do at the next General Election that it means to force his hand.” “What can the U. P. do at the next General Election?” inquired a mild voice on the left. “Most people think,” said Sir Munt, “that the U. P. can put out the present government as easily as it put it in.” “But why should Saul Hartz want a war with China?” persisted the mild voice. “Labor is getting out of hand. And he thinks it may do good all round--buck up trade, keep up prices, get the country and the colonies to pull together, and so on.” “There may be something in it.” “I don’t think so, Jennings,” said Sir Munt. “We’ve got to look ahead. If we get monkeying with China, the next thing on the tapis--so says Mr. Endor, and he sees as far through a brick wall as most, does that jockey--will be trouble between America and Japan.” “Is that going to matter?” inquired a second Imperialist. “We can’t afford to let Japan go under,” said Sir Munt sternly. “Our commitments in that quarter are too deep.” “A thousand pities, it seems to me,” interposed the slow dry voice of the manager of the National Bank, “that America ever jacked up the League of Nations. Seems to me that the world missed one of the opportunities that can never recur.” “Mr. Thorp, I’m with you there.” Sir Munt sighed heavily. “And she’s thought so, too, more than once, I’ll bet a dollar. However, there it is. And here’s the situation we’ve got to look at now. Every vote given for the Colonial gentleman is a vote for the U. P. And to-day, says Mr. Endor, and I for one can believe him, the U. P. means war with China. And to-morrow it may mean war with somebody of more importance than China.” “Serve ’em right.”