"'Tis Greece, but living Greece no more" is as true as ever it was.
That last telegram of the Kaiser must have done its soothing work. You
remember how it ran: the Kaiser was too busy to make up new phrases.
He telegraphed to his sister the familiar Potsdam sentence: "Woe to
those who dare to draw the sword against me." I am sure that I have
heard that before. And he added--delightful and significant
postscript!--"My compliments to Tino."

* *

And Tino--King Constantine of the Hellenes--understood. He is in bed
now with a very bad cold, and like to stay in bed until the weather be
more settled. But before going to bed he was able to tell a journalist
that Greece was going quietly on with her proper business; it was her
mission to carry civilisation to the world. Truly that was the mission
of ancient Greece. What we get from Tino's modern Greece is not
civilisation but the little black currants for plum-cake.

* *

But Rome. Greece may be dead or in the currant trade. Rome is alive
and immortal. Do not talk to me about Signor Giolitti, who is quite
sure that the only things that matter in this new Italy, which is old
Rome, are her commercial relations with Germany. Rome of the legions,
our ancient mistress and conqueror, is alive to-day, and she cannot be
for an ignoble peace. Here in my newspaper is the speech of a poet
spoken in Rome to a shouting crowd: I will cut out the column and put
it in the Poetry Book.

* *