do it without grumbling, whole-heartedly, with an enthusiasm which has in it something almost of passion.  How do I find the youth of your country engaged?  I have discovered.  It is for that purpose that I have toured through England.  They go to see a game played called football.  They sit on seats and smoke and shout.  They watch a score of performers—­one score, mind—­and the numbers who watch them are millions.  From town to town I went, and it was always the same.  I see their white faces in a huge amphitheatre, fifteen thousand here, twenty thousand there, thirty thousand at another place.  They watch and they shout while these men in the arena play with great skill this wonderful game.  When the match is over, they stream into public houses.  Their afternoon has been spent.  They talk it over.  Again they smoke and drink.  So it is in one town and another,—­so it is everywhere,—­the strangest sight of all that I have seen in Europe.  These are your young men, the material out of which the coming generation must be fashioned?  How many of them can shoot?  How many of them can ride?  How many of them have any sort of uniform in which they could prepare to meet the enemy of their country?  What do they know or care for anything outside their little lives and what they call their love of sport,—­they who spend five days in your grim factories toiling before machines,—­their one afternoon, content to sit and watch the prowess of others!  I speak to these footballers themselves.  They are strong men and swift.  They are paid to play this game.  I do not find that even one of them is competent to strike a blow for his country if she needs him.  It is because of your young men, then, Mr. Haviland, that I cannot advise Japan to form a new alliance with you.  It is because you are not a serious people.  It is because the units of your nation have ceased to understand that behind the life of every great nation stands the love of God, whatever god it may be, and the love of Motherland.  These things may not be your fault.  They may, indeed, be the terrible penalty of success.  But no one who lives for ever so short a time amongst you can fail to see the truth.  You are commercialized out of all the greatness of life.  Forgive me, all of you, that I say it so plainly, but you are a race who are on the downward grade, and Japan seeks for no alliance save with those whose faces are lifted to the skies.”

The pause which followed was in itself significant.  The Duke alone remained impassive.  Bransome’s face was dark with anger.  Even the Prime Minister was annoyed.  Bransome would have spoken, but the former held out his hand to check him.

“If that is really your opinion of us, Prince,” he said, “it is useless to enter into argument with you, especially as you have already acted upon your convictions.  I should like to ask you this question, though.  A few weeks ago an appeal was made to our young men to bring up to its full strength certain forces which have been organized for the defence of the country.  Do you know how many recruits we obtained in less than a month?”