summoned us to an urgent meeting, and has commissioned me to lay before
you the reasons for, and the purpose of, our deliberations. We are all
aware that His Majesty the Emperor, our gracious Lord and Master, has
declared the preservation of the peace of the world to be the highest
aim of his policy. The Christian idea that mankind should be 'ONE fold
under ONE shepherd' has, in the person of our illustrious ruler, found
its first and principal representative here on earth. The league of
universal peace is solely due to His Majesty, and if we are called upon
to present to our gracious Lord and Master our humble proposals for
combating the danger which immediately menaces our country, all our
deliberations should be inspired by that spirit which animates 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
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