Page:The council of seven.djvu/204



The thoughts of Slippery Sam were after this fashion.

"H. means war with China. And he has already said in my private ear, 'If you don't do my bidding I shall have you out and put in somebody who will.' Now I, Wilberforce Williams, who am quite frank with myself, though with nobody else, do not want war with China. It will be an unjust war. It will be an ill-timed war, because money is still pretty 'tight,' and war itself is still out of fashion. Moreover, it may lead ultimately—[Mr. Williams was a far-sighted man]—to trouble with Japan and possibly, I don't say probably, to war with the United States. Nor do I think this Chinese business can ever be popular. Hartz says his newspapers and his cinemas shall make it popular. Well, it is only too true, that in that line he can do anything all the same  this may be  I don't say it is  the psychological moment for the much trodden worm to begin to turn.

"China might make a live issue to take to the country in the good old-fashioned way. A general election