The Fortnightly Volume 97; (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1915 Excerpt: ... the last few months. It is a record, to which history offers no parallel, of flagrant injustice, of wanton iconoclasm, of shameless brigandage, of fiendish cruelty, supplemented, congruously, by immeasurable mendacity. So far from there being a just cause for the war levied by Germany, there was no cause at all except unbounded ambition. No real effort was made to avoid it by negotiation. How could any such effort have been made when lust of conquest was the determining motive? The nations against whom it was directed had given no sort of provocation or ground of complaint. Belgium, indeed, was invaded by the Kaiser in the teeth of a solemn treaty whereby Prussia guaranteed her neutrality: "He laid his hands upon such as be at peace with him, and he brake his covenant." Blameless ministers of religion, harmless peasants and traders, even little children, were ruthlessly slaughtered. Women were violated and mutilated. Shrines of religion and learning, the wonders of the world, were wantonly wrecked. Monstrous engines scattering murder around were dropped in the midst of unfortified towns. The precept given by the German Kaiser to his troops in China was faithfully followed: "Whoever falls into your hands is forfeit to you, just as one thousand years ago the Huns under King Attila made a name for themselves which is mighty in tradition." Yes; the deeds, of Attila have been renewed; nay, have been surpassed. Every restraint of religion, of morals, of decency has been cast off by the German troops. NThey have descended to the level of wild animals: "Homo homini ignoto lupus" has become their law. They have reverted to the gorilla type in all its hideousness. Nay, they have perpetrated outrages of which a gorilla would have been incapable. A Belgian refugee, who...