_Schultze._ It is terrible to think of. And the sausages get worse and
worse, and the beer costs more and more and is not like beer at all.

_Müller._ And the English have good guns and plenty of them, and know
colossally well how to use them; and they have millions of men--more than
we have; and their soldiers are brave--almost as brave as our own soldiers.
They have certainly won some victories, it seems.

_Schultze._ So it seems; but our Generals have not told us much about it.

_Müller._ And we all thought they had only a contemptible little army.

_Schultze._ Yes, that was what the ALL-HIGHEST said.

_Müller._ The ALL-HIGHEST has also said several times that our soldiers
would be back in their homes before the leaves fell from the trees, and
here are you and I doomed to go away from our homes in the third year of
the war. It would be better, I think, if the ALL-HIGHEST did not always
speak so much and tried honestly to bring us a good solid peace.

_Schultze_ (_with a deep sigh_). Peace? I do not think we shall ever have
peace again. And the winning of victories seems to push it always further
away from us. At that rate what is the use of victories?

_Müller._ Then you don't believe that the U-boats can starve England into
surrender?

_Schultze._ Certainly I don't. Do you know anyone that does believe in that
fairy story? All that the U-boats have really effected up to the present
has been to bring in America on the side of our enemies.