(Some laughter.) He was also, and it was his excuse for standing there, the founder and secretary of a league, doubtless well known to them, a league for promoting more friendly relations between the business men of Germany and England.

Some of the remarks which he had heard that evening had pained him deeply.

Business often took him to Germany, and as a German he would be doing less than his duty if he did not stand up there and tell them that the average German loved the Englishman like a brother, that the object of his life was to come into greater kinship with him, that Germany even at that moment, was standing with hand outstretched to her relatives across the North Sea, begging for a deeper sympathy, begging for a larger understanding.
(Applause from the audience, murmurs of dissent from the platform.) And as to those military preparations of which they had heard so much (with a severe glance at Captain Bartram), let them glance for one moment at the frontiers of Germany, let them realise that eastwards Germany was being continually pressed by an ancient and historic foe of enormous strength.

He would not waste their time telling them of the political difficulties which Germany had had to face during the last generation.
He would simply tell them this great truth,--the foe for whom Germany was obliged to make these great military preparations was Russia.
If ever they were used it would be against Russia, and at Russia's instigation .-- In his humble way he was striving for the betterment of relations between the dearly beloved country of his birth and the equally beloved country of his adoption.

Such meetings as these, instituted, as it seemed to him, for the propagation of unfair and unjustified suspicions, were one of the greatest difficulties in his way.