The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-12-20
CHAPTER iiI-continued.

condemnation which the German
knew would follow their use of tn
bombs on London-a ruse which the
had invariably employed wheneve
they contemplated some fresh violation
Of the rules of international law an,
the dictates Of humanity.
II happened that one of my patient
who resided in Baden-Baden called t.
see me the day after the bombs hat
been dropped on her town, and sh'
told me all about 1t.
''The airplanes which dropped thu
bombs had been flying over the city al
the morning." she declared. awe
thought they were our own machine:
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
lacked. What q dreadful thing fol
them to dol"
What a foolish thing for allied air.
planes to do-to spend whole morn
ing studying the layout Of the town
and then to drop those deadly bombs
on clump Of woods where they could
act 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 London!
"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 II we had had the kaiser
him up by the neckI 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 Lusitania2
When 1 went back to Berlin in the
fall of 1915, after a visit to the United
States, the kaiser was very anxious to
ascertain from me just how America
felt towards the war.
1 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
lren were on board" was the kaiser's
,nly comment, 'he might not have sent
'orth the torpedo which sent the vessel
% the bottom, but what he was think
ng of most, of course, was the 5000
ons of ammunition on board which
we're destined to slaughter my peo-
de %
OF course the kaiser knew that II
he U-boat commanders orders were
0 sink the Lusitania, disobedience
Ipon his part would have left but one !
curse open for. him: suicide. II, on
he other hand, the kaiser meant to
intimate that the U-boat commander
ank the Lusitania on his own initia-
i've or without special instructions
rom his .superiors, the fact still re-
GAINS that the kaiser could undoubt-
dly have prevented the tragedy and
idn't.
But If there can be any doubt as to
he kaiser's direct responsibility for
be sinking Of the Lusitania, certain 1t
, that he fully approved. openly de-
ended and even exulted in the murder I
I women and children by Zeppelin
lids on London, Manchester, Liver :
COL and other non-military cities and
owns.
England expects to starve my
omen and children to DEATH" he de-
Jared to me early In the war-long
efore we In Germany had begun to {
81 the slightest effect Of the dinlSu- (
hing food supply. ''but our Zeppelins 4
III give their women and children q {
lsfe Of war, too. Confound them!
hey ut on their island and try to {
arve NJ; we will give them taste Of I
hat war Isl" II
This was the man whose various d
IL Of consideration towards me, Q
hose talents aud personal charms, t
ID made such a favorable impression /
Jon mel How trivial and inconse- I.
lential they all seemed now! Clear II
, they were all part of the role he
ID been playing for years. While he y
- outwardly displaying all the ear 8
arks OF Z gentle character, he was F
wartl1y plotting to dominate the t
orld. For twenty-five years he main Il
ined the peace Of Europe. he fire. Y
emily boosted. He maintained peace "
It long enough to complete his fnal a
operations for the wickedest war e
1t was ever wagedl h
And yet strangely enough, even after Il
/ var had revealed the kaiser to me b.
his true colcrs and had shown him u
~ capable * deeds which should Il
- thom1it Wefe foreign to his NJ hl
- - v,paaa0nn aIWaya Ind = most ~