“Which would be what I meant,” explained Jack, soberly, “much as I hate to admit it. Stop and think for a minute, no matter how much the main body of Americans may want to keep out, remember that we’ve got some six millions of Germans who are supposed to be naturalized citizens, but whose hearts still beat fondly for the Fatherland. Besides, there might be a whole lot of reasons why Germany would really want to see war declared between herself and our country.” “Why, they must be crazy to want that, Jack! We have a hundred million people, and could do them all sorts of harm.” “Could we?” asked Jack, shrewdly. “In what way, I want to know? As there isn’t any vessel today carrying food or anything else from America to Germany they wouldn’t feel it there. We wouldn’t send an army over, nor yet our battleships to take chances of being torpedoed. We might send forty or eighty torpedo boats and destroyers, but that is all. Can’t you see that if our country were at war it would shut off the great supply of arms and ammunition that is flowing across to Great Britain and Russia and France? We’d need it all at home for six months.” Amos stared as well he might. He had not bothered looking below the surface when he figured that war with the United States would mean the overwhelming of the Teutonic race. It took Jack to consider what lay underneath the exterior, and see signs of a deep game wonderfully played by the Kaiser’s Strategy Board. “If that ever happens,” reflected Amos, “it’s bound to be a world war in fact, and every nation going will be drawn into it. But after Turkey I don’t know of even one country that stands back of Germany and Austria. That alone makes it seem as if they must be in the wrong; but of course no German will admit that, even if ten thousand neutrals were against him. “You remember the obstinate Irishman on the jury that disagreed, who claimed that there were ‘eleven pig-headed men’ locked up with him, the most stubborn lot he had ever run across?” laughed Amos. “One thing sure,” Jack added, “if Germany is beaten in the end it’ll only be the same way our South was whipped, by sheer force of superior numbers, wearing them away until they have to hoist the white flag and surrender. Great Britain is already fighting on that policy of Grant’s, that man for man the Allies can stand equal losses better than their enemies.” “Why, I’ve been beaten at checkers by the same dodge, Jack. The other fellow having managed to get one of my men by some accident insisted in facing others and compelling an equal exchange, till it got down to his having two to my one; which odds proved too much for me. I’ve quit playing the game on that account.”