The German Government attaches no less importance to the sacred principles of humanity than the Government of the United States. It again fully takes into account that both Governments for many years cooperated in developing international law in conformity with these principles, the ultimate object of which has always been to confine warfare on sea and land to armed forces of belligerents and safeguard as far as possible noncombatants against the horrors of war.

_German Gov't. reply to U. S. Government in Suss.e.x Case.

May, 1916._

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_Von Tirpitz_: "_Well, my dears, I'm afraid you will have to improve your manners--for a while at least._"

The German Government notifies the Government of the United States that German naval forces have received the following order:

In accordance with the general principles of visit and search and the destruction of merchant vessels, recognized by international law, such vessels, both within and without the area declared a naval war zone, shall not be sunk without warning and without saving human lives unless the ship attempt to escape or offer resistance.

_Imperial German Government to United States Government.

May 4, 1916._

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"_WELL, MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU INSIST, WE SHALL TRY TO BEHAVE LIKE GENTLEMEN._"

In view of the circ.u.mstances the German Government frankly admits that the a.s.surance given to the American Government, in accordance with which pa.s.senger vessels were not to be attacked without warning, has not been adhered to in the present case. As was intimated by the undersigned in the note of the 4th instant, the German Government does not hesitate to draw from this resultant consequences. It therefore expresses to the American Government its sincere regret regarding the deplorable incident and declares its readiness to pay an adequate indemnity to the injured American citizens. It also disapproved of the conduct of the commander, who has been appropriately punished.

VON JAGOW, _German Foreign Secretary to United States Government, 8th May, 1916._

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_GOTT STRAFE VERDUN_

"_I wish I knew whether it is wiser to retreat or to advance_"

VERDUN

For more than two months the battle of Verdun has raged almost ceaselessly day and night. It is conceded that Germany has concentrated picked troops and heavy guns in quant.i.ties never before seen in war.

Yet, apart from the first withdrawal of General Petain's army from outlying positions to definite lines of defense, the two months fighting has not given the attacking forces a gain of two miles.

_Current History, New York._

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_GERMAN MILITARISM ON THE ALLIES' OPERATING TABLE_

"_For the sake of the world's future we must first use the knife_"

The Germans have come with floating mines in the open seas, threatening belligerents and neutrals equally. They have come with the undiscriminating and murderous Zeppelin, which does military damage only by accident. They have come with the submarine, which destroys neutral and belligerent ships and crews, in scorn alike of law and mercy. They have come upon blameless nations with invasion, incendiarism, and confiscation. They have come with poisonous gases and liquid fire. All their scientific genius has been dedicated to wiping out human life.

They have forced these things into general use in the war.

The Prussian authorities apparently have but one idea of peace--an iron peace imposed on other nations by German supremacy. They do not understand that free men and free nations will rather die than submit to that ambition, and that there can be no end to the war till that aim is defeated and renounced.

_From an interview with_ SIR EDWARD GREY, _in the Chicago News, May, 1916._

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_EMPIRE DAY, 1916_

When Germany challenged us nearly two years ago to uphold with our lives the ideals by which we professed to live, we accepted the challenge, not out of madness, nor for glory or for gain, but to make good those professions. Since then the Allies and our empire have fought that they may be free and all earth may be free from the intolerable domination of German ideals. We did not foresee the size of the task when it opened.

We do not flinch from it now that the long months have schooled us to full knowledge and have tempered us nationally and individually to meet it. The nations within the empire have created, maintained, and reinforced from their best the great armies they devote without question to this issue. They have emerged, one by one, as powers clothed with power through discipline and sacrifice, strong for good by their bitter knowledge of the evil they are meeting, and wise in the unpurchasable wisdom of actual achievement. Knowing as nations what it is we fight for, realizing as men and women the resolve that has been added to us by what each has endured, we go forward now under the proud banner of our griefs and losses to greater effort, greater endurance, and, if need be, heavier sacrifice, equal sponsors for the deliverance of mankind.

RUDYARD KIPLING, _on Empire Day, May 24, 1916._

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_THE SPRING SONG_

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