f defeats which Germany is said to have
suffered in the east, in the west, and on the sea, are lies. It is true
that at Schirmek in Alsace a few cannon were lost by our troops. But, on
the other hand, the fact is established that in the very first days
after mobilization all the enemies' troops were completely driven from
Germany, and further, that during the mobilization of our troops
victorious battles occurred at Muelhausen and Lagarde in Alsace; that in
the east they have made sharp inroads on the Russians; that they
overcame Luettich with all its forts and captured Brussels on the 20th of
August.

Here in Germany we are expecting every moment news of the taking of
Namur. The quicker decisive battles take place, by so much sooner will
there be some possibility of establishing peace with France.

PHILIPP SCHEIDEMANN.

* * * * *

"CRITIQUE OF WEAPONS."

Karl Kautsky, in the Neue Zeit, Berlin, Aug. 8.

_Kautsky has for over a quarter of a century been one of the foremost
Socialist leaders in Germany; the founder and present editor of the Neue
Zeit. The present article on the war appeared before the periodical was
suppressed by the Government._

War, with all its attendant horrors, has broken loose, the "Critique of
Weapons" has been set up, and the weapons of criticism are consequently
broken. This is not merely the inevitable result of the automatic
limitations which would be imposed by any state of war, but
rather--though this is but a transitory phase--because of an absolute
lack of interest in any sort of critical estimate of the whole
situation. In breathless suspense, every man is concentrating the whole
of his mental energy on the news of the next moment, news concerning
which none can make even fairly clear surmise, and about which one fact
only is known in advance, that whatever it is, it is sure to be
horrible. For relief from this wretched suspense men are looking to
dispatches and decisions of battles, not to critical speculation.

Yet by the time these lines come before the reader this stage may
already be giving way, and in all probability there will be beginning to
be felt the need of regaining our usual attitude, of taking account of
this monstrous event which has broken in on us so suddenly--so
unexpectedly that for the moment it has stunned us--of making ourselves
clear concerning the end toward which we are moving.

Of course, to discuss the chances