ss representative in the
city during the siege, "the roar of laughter that went up in the
German Club when the news was read that England had asked Portugal for
assistance. For two or three days it looked, according to the news,
that the British Empire was going to pieces. We heard of revolutions
in India, riots in Alexandria, mutiny and martial law in South Africa
and even disaffection in Sarawak and North Borneo."

When it became clear that the end was drawing near preparations were
made that as few war munitions as possible should fall into the hands
of the enemy. The warships in the harbor that had escaped the
bombardment were blown up. When the big guns in the forts had fired
their last shots the gunners under orders destroyed them. In many
cases this was done because without ammunition the guns were useless.

October 31, 1914, the anniversary of the emperor's birthday, was
selected by the Japanese and English for their final bombardment. From
142 guns now occupying commanding positions came a deluge of shells
that continued for seven days. The gunners by this time had the exact
ranges and wasted no ammunition. The staffs of the two expeditionary
forces gathered on Prince Heinrich Hill to watch the final act of the
passing of German rule in the Far East. The warships ranged in the
harbor joined in, and after an hour or two it became evident that the
German defenses would be swept away by mere weight of metal. Under
cover of this terrific gunfire the Allies' troops drove their saps and
trenches up the very edge of the defense works, where they waited
orders to take the place by storm.

The Germans replied bravely. A great cloud of smoke and dust arose
over the doomed city visible far out at sea. In the city the
noncombatants took refuge in their cellars and helped care for the
wounded. Almost every German position, except the bomb-proof casements
where the guns stood, was hammered to pieces. The electric power
station was destroyed, so that during the last few nights the city was
in darkness.

The last handbills dropped into Tsing-tau by the Japanese aviators
contained the following appeal: "To the honored officers and men in
the fortress: It is against the will of God, as well as the principles
of humanity, to destroy and render useless arms, ships of war, and
merchantmen, and other works and constructions, not in obedience to
the necessity of war, but merely out of spite, lest they fall into the
hands of the