are among the most gentle-hearted, kindly souls it has ever been my good
fortune to meet. Others have exalted the military and the idea of war;
and while boarding in the home of a German army officer I witnessed
heartless and cruel acts which I do not believe could have occurred in
any other civilised country among people of the same education and
intelligence. Unfortunately, Americans see no opportunity to doubt the
barbarous behaviour of the German army; and in the debate over the
Zabern affair some of your best citizens rebelled against military
brutality--but the punishment meted out to the military offenders was
nullified by your military Government. In the present war that same
Government has admitted and justified unspeakable atrocities under the
plea of "military necessities." Americans do not believe every lie
wafted on the wings of gossip; but when your book of instructions to
army officers expressly breaks down every safeguard for civilised
warfare by justifying "exceptions" to the rules governing such warfare,
Americans cannot fail to conclude that your Government is more barbarous
than that of any other country claiming to be civilised; for other
countries do not now recognise the right of armies to make such
exceptions. Your Government, in trying to defend itself against the
storm of world-criticism, has admitted and justified the slaughter of
innocent hostages as a "military necessity." No other civilised country
does this; and Americans consider the German Government both brutal and
barbarous for permitting this utterly inhuman practice. American
soldiers in Vera Cruz were killed by franctireurs; but our Government
would hang any American officer who permitted the murder of innocent
hostages on that account. Your Government justifies and excuses such
measures; therefore Americans have been forced to conclude that your
Government is less civilised than are the Governments of America,
England, and France, which forbid such conduct.