advantage to
break them. Americans in their homes, their churches, and their
schools had been taught that "an honest man is the noblest work of
God." They had heard the old saying that "All is fair in love and
war"; but they could not think for a moment that a whole nation of men
and women had been taught that lies and treachery and broken promises
were fair because they helped the Fatherland work out its destiny and
rule the world.

They knew that Chancellor Bismarck falsified a telegram to bring on the
war with France in 1870, and they learned to their dismay that
Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg in 1914 declared the treaty with Belgium
only "a scrap of paper" when Germany wished to cross that country to
strike France. Americans kept learning that Germany's promises to
respect hospitals and hospital ships, stretcher-bearers and the Red
Cross, not to interfere with non-combatants, not to use poison gas, not
to bombard defenseless cities and towns were all "scraps of paper."
They discovered even the naturalization papers which Germans in America
took out in order to become American citizens were lies sworn to, for
the German who declared his loyalty to his new mother country was still
held by Germany as owing his first fealty and duty to her. It must be
said, however, that many Germans who became naturalized in the United
States did not agree with these secret orders of their Fatherland; but
many others did, and the rulers of Germany encouraged such deception.

It was many months after the beginning of the World War before the
large body of American citizens would believe that the German nation
and the German people made a business of lies and deception, and
considered such a business just and proper when in the service of the
Fatherland. But when Germany--after having promised the United States
on May 4, 1916, that merchant ships would not be sunk without warning
or without giving the crews and passengers an opportunity for
safety--on January 31, 1917, informed Washington that she was not going
to keep her promise and told the German people that she had only made
it in order to get time to build a great submarine fleet which would
bring England to her knees in three months--then the American people
saw Germany as she was and in her shame.

Of all the peoples of the earth, the Americans are probably the most
sympathetic and helpful to the weak and the afflicted. They are the
most merciful, striving to be kind not on