reprisal raids against such a place as Freiburg. The fact that Germany
began the slaughter of babies and women in defiance of the rules of war,
and has kept it up in frequent raids by warships, Zeppelins, and
aeroplanes, whereas the Allies have very seldom attacked open towns, and
then only as occasional reprisals following peculiarly barbarous German
attacks, has won for Germany the condemnation, and for the Allies the
commendation of the civilised world.

The _Lusitania_ atrocity removed from the minds of the American people
the last possible doubt as to the essential barbarity of the German
Government. No other Government pretending to be civilised has ever
shocked the entire world by such a sickening crime against humanity. It
is utterly inconceivable that the American nation could descend so low
in the scale of humanity as to order the deliberate destruction of an
English ship bearing hundreds of innocent German women and children
across the seas. But if such a thing were conceivable, you could not
find in the American navy an officer who would obey the inhuman order.
Nor do Americans believe that the English or French Governments could
ever disgrace their countries' honour by such a barbarous act. I am
shocked and surprised that a man of your position and intelligence can
find it in his heart to defend an act which has for ever stained the
fair name and honour of your country.

I read with amazement your assertions that the _Lusitania_ was armed,
that she carried ammunition in defiance of American laws, and that our
official inspection of her was careless. Your own Government has itself
abandoned the false charge that the _Lusitania_ carried guns, and no
longer makes such a ridiculous claim; while the German reservist who
pretended to have seen the gun has admitted that he lied and is now
serving a term in prison for perjury. You are not familiar with American