"Yes, to be sure, that is what I meant. It would cause a serious delay
in the mails, that's certain."
"And then there would be no soldiers," added Sam.
"Of course. How stupid of me to overlook that. How would you like to
see no soldiers in the street?"
"I shouldn't like it at all, papa."
"Yes, my dear boy," he proceeded, turning to Sam, "I would not want to
have it repeated in my district, but I confess that I am always
homesick for Whoppington when I am here. That's the real world there.
There's the State Department where they manage all the foreign affairs
of the world. What could we do without foreign affairs? And the
Agricultural Department. How could we get in our crops without it? And
the Labor Department. Every man who does a day's work depends on the
Labor Department for his living, we may say. And the----"
"The War Department," said Sam.
"Yes, the War Department. We depend on that for our wars. Perhaps at
first that does not seem to be so useful, but----"
"Oh! but, Uncle George, surely it is the most useful of all. What could
we do without wars. Just fancy a country without wars!"
"I don't know but you're right, Sam."
"And then the Treasury Department depends a good deal on the War
Department," said Sam, in triumph, "for without the War Department and
the army it wouldn't have any pensions to pay."
"That's so.
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