The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-13

but it cannot absolve Germany in the judgment of the civilized world. What
 justifies law? Certainly not the mere
 drafting of it, or it's publication to those
 whom it may concern. Otherwise, the vil- est law would possess an equal sane tion with the best, and 8 band of ruff
 fans with brute force at their command could foist any atrocity as law upon the world. The only sanction of a law is the moral conviction of humanity that it Is right, and paragraphs 5S and 90 of the German military code are stripped of their legality under this ordeal. No civilized man or woman will admit for moment that Edith Cavell deserved the penalty of death for the offense she had committed against the German en-
 pire. Herr Zimmermann strained every
 known fact to the utmost limit to prove
 that she did. He exaggerated, he pre-
 varicated, he gravitated into open false
 hood, But it is only himself and hh
 country that he convicted.
 ALL IN ONE DAY
 Miss Cavell and her associates were
 tried and convicted practically in one
 day, Friday, October 8, though the trial opened on the 7th. The military public prosecutor demanded the death penalty for her and eight others among 3b prisoners. Yet, though Kirschen knew this, he sttid no word to M. De Laval or the American legation. Late on the Sunday evening M. De Laval heard of the travesty of justice from another source, and thenceforth, for three days, he and the American ambassador, to- gether with Mir. Hugh Gibson, lega- ton secretary, literally moved heaven and earth to save the poor ladys life. They failed. The Germans took good care that they should fail. She was shot at o'clock in the, morning of October 12, fitting hour for the dark est deed that has disgraced Germany during this war. It was reported in England that the dear woman fainted when she faced her executioners. that the firing squad bungled their job and that the lieutenant in command shot her through the head with his service revolver. I don't know whether this story is reliable or not. But what does it matter whether there was one murderer or a score? Edith Cavell was foully slain, and the reputation of a great European nation was forever be- smirched by the act.
 MT. Gahan, British chaplain in Brus- sels, was allowed to visit Miss Cavell late on the evening of the 11th. I shall close this dreadful story by quoting his account of the farewell scene. He says:
 ITO my astonishment and relief I
 
 signed. But this could not lessen the tenderness and intensity of feeling on either part during that last interview of almost an hour.
 Her first words to me were upon a matter concerning herself personally, but the solemn asseveration which ac- |companied them was made expressly in the Light of God and eternity She then
 added that she wished all her friends to know that she willingly gave her life for her country. and said: I have no fear nor shrinking; have seen death so often that it is not strange or fearful to me.
 She further said: I thank God for
 this 10 weeks quiet before the end.
 Life has always been hurried and full of difficulty.
 ""Phis time of rest has been a great They have all been very kind to me here. But this l would say, stand ing as I do in view of God and eter- nifty. I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bit terness towards anyone
 we partook of the Holy Communion together. and she received the gospel message of consolation with all her heart. At the close of the little service I began to repeat the words Abide with me- and she joined softly in the end. We sat quietly talking until it was time for me to go. She gave me parting messages for relations and friends She |spoke of her souls needs at the moment, and she received the assurance of God IS word as only the Christian can do. Then I said, 'Good-by,' and she smiled and said. We shall meet again <" And that is all! Is 1t not enough? Can Germany ever outlive the infamy,
 the shame of it? No. A thousands times
 No" thousand years will thunder
 the same reply. That degraded nation
 murdered Edith Cavell It murdered a
 great company of Christian people on
 board the "Lusitania." It murdered Cap
 tain Fryett of the British merchant marine Not all it's tears nor all it's fu- ture whining shall lessen the obloquy of those acts, or mitigate the penalty
 yet to be inflicted on the men who did
 them and the internal system which ordered them.