The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-10-04
CHAPTER discontinued.


knew would follow their use of the
bombs on London-a ruse which they
had invariably employed whenever
they contemplated some fresh violation
of the rules of international law and
the dictates Of humanity.
It happened that one of my patients
who resided In Baden-Baden called to
see me the day after the bombs had
been dropped on her town, and she
told me all about 1t.
'aThe airplanes which dropped the
bombs had been flying over the city all
the morning." she declared. 1--WE
thought they were our own machines
out for practice and paid no particular
attention to them. Then they dropped
the bombs and they landed in the
woods, and we knew we had been at
tackled. What a dreadful thing for
them to dor
What a foolish thing for allied air
planes to do--to spend a whole morn
ing studying the layout of the town
and then to drop those deadly bombs
on a clump of woods where they could
not possibly hurt anyone, and how
careless of the Germans not to modest
them while they were engaged in their
devilish work
But the point wanted to bring out
was this: these gas bombs were never
used on Londoni
Just as everything was in readiness
for the raid" the officer told me re-
gretfully. 1--WE received orders direct
from the kaiser to hold off saw his
signature to the order. OF course,
there was nothing for us to do but
comply, but If we had had the kaiser
there, believe we would have strung
him up by the neck! We still have
those bombs, however, and you may
be sure they will yet be used!"
For some unknown reason the kaiser
stopped the use of those lethal gas
bombs for the time being. Why didn't
he move to save the women and chill
dren on the LusitanIa7
When l went back to Berlin In the
fall of 1915, after visit to the United
States, the kaiser was very anxious to
ascertain from me just how America
felt towards the war.
told him that before the sinking of
the Lusitania American opinion had
been divided. There had been many
who were strongly pro-ally, there had
been others who were openly pro-
German and there had been still 9TH
ers who maintained an absolutely neu-
trail attitude. After the Lusitania
tragedy, however, there had been a
distinct change In public feeling, told
him, practically the whole country
having become decidedly anti-German.
Perhaps If the U-boat commander
had known so many women and chill
dren were on board" was the kaiser's
only comment, ''he might not have sent
forth the torpedo which sent the vessel
to the bottom, but what he was think
ing of most, of course, was the 5000
tons of ammunition on board which
were destined to slaughter my peo-
ple!"
OF course the kaiser knew that IL
the U-boat commanders orders were
to sink the Lusitania, disobedience
upon his part would have left but one
course open for him: suicide. If, on
the other hand, the kaiser meant TO
intimate that the U-boat commander
sank the LuSitania on his own initia-
tive or without special instructions
from his superiors, the fact still re-
mains that the kaiser could undoubt-
eddy have prevented the tragedy and
didn't.
But If there can be any doubt as to
the kaiser's direct responsibility for
the sinking of the Lusitania, certain 1t
is that he fully approved, openly de-
Tended and even exulted in the murder
OF women and children by Zeppelin
.aids on London, Manchester, Liver
pool and other non-military cities and
towns.
England expects to starve my
women and children to DEATH" he de
,clared to me early in the war-long
before we In Germany had begun to
feel the slightest effect of the dimin-
fishing food supply, ''but our Zeppelins
win give their women and children a
taste of war. too. Confound them
They sit on their island and try TO
,starve us; we will give them taste of
what war is"
This was the man whose various
acts of consideration towards me.
whose talents aud personal charms,
had made such a favorable impression
upon mel How trivial and incense
,quentiai they all seemed nowi Clear
~. they were all part OF the role he
had been playing for years. While he
was outwardly displaying all the ear
marks Of a gentle character, he was
inwardly plotting to dominate the
world. For twenty-five years he main
tanned the peace Of Europe. he fire.
quently boosted. He maintained peace
just long enough to complete his final
preparations for the wickedest war
that was ever wagedl
And yet strangely enough, even after
the war had revealed the kaiser to me
in his true colors and had shown him
to be capable Of deeds which j should