This is one of the most successful examples of what
we may term long-distance prophecy ever recorded. In 1882 Germany's naval and colonial policy was undeveloped—an affair of dreamers, irresponsible journalists, and Professors rather than of statesmen. The statesmen, indeed, led by Bismarck, pooh-poohed the notion that Germany's destiny was on the water. Furthermore, France, owing to the friction over Egypt which had already begun, appeared likely to be our chief rival, if not antagonist. Gordon, however, seems to have ignored all the superficial aspects of the situation and to have taken note only of the fundamentals. He certainly bad a daemon within him. Most wonderful of all, he did not make the common error of political prophets and date his prophecies too near his own time. To be only four years out in a prediction with an eighteen years' range is an amazing feat.
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