The Secret War Read Online Free PDF Page A

Governments were only puppets pushed and tricked into acting on the will of ignorant multitudes. The people; who are swayed first one way and then another. A dozen of those embittered men met constantly. In private they surveyed the whole situation with the logical cynicism engendered by their wrecked lives and cheated youth. They came to the conclusion that there was only one way to stop future wars: to declare war themselves on the men who stir the multitudes to demand that their Government shall take action:
the men who sit behind it all and reap the benefits of war
.”
    â€œBut surely you’re too young to’ve been at Oxford just after the war?” Lovelace cut in with a puzzled frown.
    â€œOh yes. I was only speaking of the origin of the society. There are branches of it in a dozen Universities now. It’s become international, and I became a recruit, through my tutor, at Yale.”
    â€œI see, and what have the
Millers of God
done so far?”
    â€˜Well, the Mills of God grind slowly, you know, even if they grind exceeding small. Still, we’ve a certain amount to show. Each of us is prepared to use every penny we possess, if necessary, and all the influence we’ve got, to preserve peace. The Neutrality Bill has been put through in this country largely through our efforts. There’s not a great deal in that. It’s only an example which we hope other nations will follow. Then, much more important, there is the new law that all armament factories are to become the property of the State. That is a great step forward because it cuts the throat of the munition racket—at all events here.”
    â€œYes, and there
is
a real hope that other countries may follow your lead there, even if their obligations prevent them going permanently neutral. There’s nothing to stop them controlling armaments, except the armament people.”
    â€œAh, there you have it. That brings me to the grimmer side of our organisation. If, after due investigation has been made, it’s proved beyond doubt that a certain individual is actively working against the maintenance of peace, sentence is passed on him, and one of us undertakes the execution of that sentence.”
    â€œHave there—” Lovelace hesitated a second—“have there been many cases like that?”
    â€œQuite a number. The first was Eberheim, the nickel man. He played a big part behind the scenes in inciting the Greeks to try and mop up all that was left of Turkey after the Armistice. One day he disappeared from his headquarters in Smyrna and he’s never been heard of since. Then there was a fellow called Pirradow. He was in oil, and he died suddenly on the way out to make new contracts with the Bolivians during their scrap with Paraguay—after he’d been warned to stay at home.” Christopher Penn fiddled nervously with the stem of his glass as he spoke. It held only water yet, judgingfrom his flushed face, he might well have been drinking heavily of the potent wine. His dark eyes glittered like those of a fanatic as he went on. “Rechmanitz was another. One of his own hand grenades went off unexpectedly, just as he was getting in his car one day to go off and do a demonstration for the benefit of a Japanese buyer whose employers were anxious to blow the guts out of a few more poor devils in China. Verdino is supposed to have broken his neck in a fall. Dowling was found dead in his bath. Olagnoff was drowned at sea.”
    â€œI must confess,” Lovelace interrupted, “that I’ve never heard of any of these people.”
    The younger man shrugged. “That’s hardly surprising. The enemy work together you know. In a loose sort of way theirs is an organisation as well, and their power over the world Press is enormous. They suppress all but the barest mention of these ‘accidents’, as far as they can. They’re getting a bit rattled now, though, and we’re