Page:Ruth of the U.S.A. (IA ruthofusa00balm).pdf/70

 a moment. She sat down; others began settling back and the rooms became still.

"I beg your pardon," Ruth heard Gerry Hull's voice apologizing first to the man who had tried to introduce him. "I beg the pardon of you all for what I'm going to say. It's not a word of what I'm supposed to say, I know; it'll be just what I think and feel.

"We're not doing our part, people!" he burst out passionately without more preparation. "We're still taking protection behind England and France, as we've done since the start of the war! We ought to be there in force now! God knows, we ought to have been there in force three years ago! But instead of being on the battle line with them in force even with theirs, our position is so pitiable that we make our allies feel grateful for a few score of destroyers and a couple of army divisions holding down quiet sectors in Lorraine. That's because our allies have become so used to expecting nothing—or next to nothing—of America that anything at all which we do fills them with such sincere amazement that they compliment and overwhelm us with thanks of the sort you have heard."

He turned about to the French officer and to Lady Agnes, who had just spoken. "Forgive me!" he cried to them so that all in the rooms could hear. "You know I mean no offense to you or lack of appreciation of what you have said. You cannot tell the truth to my people; I can for you, and I must!"

He straightened and spoke to his own people again. "On the day that German uhlans rode across the Belgian border, Belgium and England and France—yes, even