of shot and shell that awaits them, deeming it, in the language of young Hubert Hervey, "a grand thing to die for the expansion of the Empire." [Applause.]

The pride of England in its navy is justly matched by that of every American in his own. [Applause.] Its record, from the days of John Paul Jones to those of Dewey and Sampson [applause and cheers], is unsurpassed in the history of the world. During these hundred glorious years, its whole personnel, from Admiral to bluejacket, has left upon the pages of history a shining story, stainless, brilliant and undying, of honor, skill, devotion and daring that stirs the heart because inspiring and ennobling. The English poet might justly say:

The spirit of our fathers

Shall start from every wave;

For the deck it was their field of fame,
And ocean was their grave.

And the American can as justly reply:

Know that thy highest dwells at home, there art
And loyal inspiration spring;

If thou would'st touch the universal heart,
Of thine own country sing.

Remembering its glorious past, its happy, peaceful, prosperous present-for it is the happiest land the sun shines upon -and the auspicious omens for the bright opening future, I ask you to pledge with me its representative head, the Commander-in-Chief of its Army and Navy, the President of the United States. [Toast drunk standing.]

CHARLES EVANS HUGHES

IN HONOR OF LORD READING

Address delivered by Charles E. Hughes at the dinner in honor of Lord Reading at the Lotos Club, New York, March 27, 1918. Lord Reading's speech appears in Volume III. The time was the darkest period of the War, just after the success of the great German offensive. The speeches of Lord Reading and Mr. Hughes made it one of the most memorable nights in the history of the Lotos Club. President Lawrence, in introducing the speaker, said: "Gentlemen, you recognize, I am sure, one who is very far from being a stranger to this Club. It was our privilege to receive him when, as the Governor of this State, he was fighting a most valiant fight. It was our privilege to receive him again when he ascended the bench of the Supreme Court, of the United States; and to-night I think we may best greet him as one who typifies as far as any man in the United States, the fine, noble qualities which go to make up the ideal American citizen. I have the privilege to call upon the Honorable Charles E. Hughes." Mr. Hughes' speech before the Washington Conference on the Limitation of Armaments is printed in Volume XII.

MR. PRESIDENT, LORD READING, GENTLEMEN OF THE LOTOS CLUB: I am glad of the opportunity to join with you in welcoming the Ambassador of Great Britain. We should extend a very cordial welcome to any one who came to us, particularly at this time, bearing this message of good will and representing here the King of Great Britain. But, however high the dignity of that mission, we count ourselves peculiarly fortunate that Great Britain has honored us by giving her very best. Lord Reading has told you that he is here, not as Lord Chief Justice, but as Ambassador. For the time being he has laid aside the duties of his judicial office. I cannot, however, regard our distinguished guest simply as an Ambassador of Great Britain or as having entirely abandoned the exalted func

tions of his judicial office. To me at this time he comes with the highest possible dignity as the exponent of the principles of English law and as one voicing the eternal sentiment of liberty and justice, that sentiment which underlies the institutions of Great Britain and our own. He comes here at this time representing the principle that is at stake in this vital struggle, for the question in the final analysis is whether force shall be the master of men or the servant of the spirit of justice that is within men.

We extend a hearty welcome, but we are not here simply to voice a welcome,-we are here to plight our faith.

It is a time of anxiety which we cannot ignore, but it is not a time of that foreboding which palsies effort; it is a time of solicitude, but yet a time of inflexible determination. And every foot that the forces of Germany advance means that the end cannot be regarded as in the slightest degree uncertain, for with every foot of advance the determination of America becomes stronger that there shall never be defeat for the sacred cause committed to our keeping.

We say that this is a conflict of antagonistic ideals. We say that it is a struggle between competing principles of government. But it is not a conflict between abstractions. The lesson of this hour and of all hours is that the conflict between light and darkness is a conflict between men, and the victory lies with the men who are the more resourceful, the more courageous, the more inflexible in their determination, always having in mind that as between two men with apparently equal resources, the one endowed with the sense of justice and imbued with the divine spirit of right brings to the struggle an invincible character which no apparent equality of resources upon the other side can hope to match. This is the time for testing men. To my mind, the most significant thing about the great offensive that the Germans have launched is the fact that they have thought it necessary to launch it. It is quite evident that the slow attrition of continued struggle in the manner in which it was being waged could not be viewed with complacency by the high command in Germany. The fact that it was necessary to resort to this unparalleled sacrifice of life is eloquent of conditions which made it necessary to under