The Man Who Did Not Applaud
I suddenly noticed him.
A peculiar type indeed—why doesn’t he join in the applause?
The whole assembly greeted the speakers’ burning words with rounds of hearty applause. The sound of clapping as it filled the hall was like a storm. Many cried aloud in their excitement.
“Right for you!”
“Quite true!”
“The police arrested all the comrades!”
“They’re increasing armaments, but as for unemployment insurance…!”
At this moment the police, who formed a cordon round the hall, brandished their swords menacingly. This had no effect on the meeting. The revelations of the speakers, their description of the colossal growth of armaments and the astronomical figures for expenditure on the war industry proved too convincing. Then they went on to expose the preparations being made for fresh bloodshed—all carried on under the cover of pacifist phrases and paper pacts. This meeting of protest against the threatened war had turned into a trial of its instigators, with the crowded audience as jury. The heated addresses of the prosecutors, eagerly seized upon by the jury, left no doubt concerning the
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