Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-20

sort was ever said to me, though the
young men of the commission. espe-
cially. those in northern France,
we're often, I might almost say con-
stantly, made to suffer by a feeling
the officers there were at no pains
10 conceal. but are often indeed
quite frank to express to men whom
they were always reminding were
there as their guests"
The subject of munitions was
mentioned to me only two or three
times, I believe, once at that time
and again later. it was a young
German officer, a count Of a we'll
known family, who mentioned it to
me the first time. He was in my
Office and, noticing the photograph
of President Wilson on the mantel-
piece, said:
"Est-ce Monsieur wilson," CTS it
Mr.. Wilson?")
He studied it for a long time,
very attentively.
'Notez bien la machoire in
ferieure,' 1 said. C"Study the lower
jaw.")
"Oui" he said, "mais il devrait
defendre Qu'on vende des NUM-
tions to nos enemies" eyes, but he
ought TO forbid the sale of NUM-
lions to our enemies.")
''Aiis ills ne sont pas nos en-
ennis C'But they are not our
him, told him to send some one Of
explain il to him, showing him
that first under the conventions it
was not part of the duty of our
government to forbid it's own citi-
zens from selling munitions of war
to any one they pleased, that this
was recognized by The Hague con-
vention and that when an effort was
made to change it some years ago
it was the influence of Germany
that defeated it,. that Germany
could buy>goods on the same terms
with others in America, that all
she had to do was to get ships
across the Atlantic, and this, of
course. she could not do. He seemed
not to understand. They seemed al
ways incapable of understanding.
That which is known to English
men and 70 Americans as the
sporting sense, the sense of fair
playing, Playing the game, was I'M
known to them, because, I suppose,
there are no sports in Germany ex-
cept war and they did not play at
that as sportsmen. The higher Of
ficers at Antwerp were always par
ticularly offensive in their attitude
toward America, and in their COM
.nents at and after the time OF the
crime of the Luis itania the military
men at Brussels were. in the same
mood. One of them, speaking on the
subject one day, after advancing
the usual excuse that it was all
EnSlands fault, said that they had
done all they could to enlist ,hmeri-
can sympathy, and had failed. "Et
nous en- avons fat notre deuil."
And we have made UP our minds
to its loss") He spread out his
arms wide, grew red in the sudden
gust Of passion that swept him. and
cried:
''If we have to fight the whole
world we will do it,"
1t was nearly a week before any
public official reference to the
Lusitania was permitted in Brus-
sells. and then there was posted on
the walls an "affiche." Nothing per-
haps could any better set forth the
innaturity of the German mind
than this piece of special pleading,
with it's :Ilogic, it's lack of the most
rudimentary understanding of the
laws of evidence and of the rules
bv which enlightened men fix re-
snonsibility. II ended, as the Of
ficer's statement had ended, as most
all of their contentious indeed end
ed. with the statement that they
"novy had proved that it was all
Fngland's fault"
This is the af1che;
Nouvelfes Publises Par Lac Cow
eminent General Allemand
RERLIN. May. 1.-THE govern
mont of the United States of Amer
lea and the governments OF the neu-
tral mowers have received the fol-
lowing note by the imperial lnterme-
diary accredited to their countries:
The imperial government sincere
ly regrets the loss of human hVes
caused by the destruction OF the
"T,usitania," but il finds itself obllg-
ed TO decline all responsibility. Eng
land in trying to starve Germany
has forced her to take measures OF
,anrisal. In response to the sugges-
ton from Germany that the suoma-
rine warfare would be stopped II
England would renounce her desire
70 starve the German empire, the
English applied still more severe
blockade. The English merchant
sbius cannot be considered as ordl-
nary merchant ships because they
carry arms and have several times
tried to sink our ships by ramming
them For this reason it is impos-
sible for US to visit them. The sec
rotary of the English parliament,
replying TO a question from LORD
Beresford, declared recently That all
the English merchant ships, so 10
sneak, are at present armed ana
poryided with hand Grenades. Be-
sides, the newspapers of the United
Kingdom avow frankly that the
"Lusitania," during its recent trips
had had several times a heavy car
go of war material on board; the
Cunard company's steamships Maui
retania" and "Lusitania," being
more or less immune from subma-
rine attack on account of their great
speed, have been given preference
in the transport of war material. 1t
is proved that the "Lusitania" dur
ing her last voyage, had $500 cases
of munitions on board. The rest of
the cargo was for the most part
contraband. Setting aside the gen.
eral advertisement, the imperial
government had specially warned
the public, through the intermediary
of Ambassador the Count de Bern
storff. The neutrals, however, took
absolutely no account of this adver-
tisement, which was, indeed, the OBJ
ject of jeers from the English press
and from the Cunard company. II
England replied to this advertise