dupes of pacifism read carefully the following extract from his speech;
if they remain deaf to its meaning, it can only be because, like the
man in the fable, they do not wish to hear.

"It is true," says the German Emperor, "that we have neglected none of
the measures by which our military strength may be increased within the
limits prescribed by the law, but what we have been able to effect in
this direction has not been sufficient to prevent the changes which
have taken place in the general situation from being unfavourable to
us. We can no longer postpone making additions to the peace footing of
the army and to effective units, more especially the field artillery.
A Bill will be brought before you which will provide for the necessary
increase of the army to take place on the first of October of this
year."

According to _Videant Consules_, the last _favourable_ date for
attacking France would have been in 1887. Bismarck sinned beyond
forgiveness in not provoking a war at that time. More than that, his
manoeuvres to undermine the credit of Russia and his policy of
intimidation towards France, by exciting the hatred of both countries
against Germany, only served to unite them.

In the position in which he finds himself, William II has therefore no
alternative; he must vastly increase his forces, while assuming the
pacifist rôle. He must pretend to be severe with the aristocracy of
his army--the apple of his eye--and to be full of sympathetic concern
for the welfare of the working classes and peasantry, whom he fears or
despises, and who are nothing but cannon fodder to him. And he does
these things in order to sow seeds of mutual distrust between France
and Russia.