as you say, she let her
people hand over Rabaul and New Guinea to your Colonel Holmes without a
battle. She fancies that when she wins this war as she has convinced
herself she will, it will be a simple matter to step into the occupation
of ready made colonies of such wonderful wealth and development."

The chief surprise of my freedom, however, was my changed opinion
regarding the way Germany was taking the war.

I, like the average Britisher, had believed that in checking the German
rush on Paris and driving it to the Aisne, we had whipped Germany to a
standstill.

We had pictured her checked on the east with her Austrian ally on the
verge of pleading for peace; her fleet cowering in the Kiel Canal like a
frightened hen beneath a barn.

I, like every other Britisher, had fancied that Germany was undergoing
an awful process of slow death; that she was faced with economic ruin;
that her trade and manufacture had been smashed, causing untold
ruination and forcing famine into every home; that the German populace
were being crushed under the terrors of defeat, were cursing "the
Kaiser and his tyrannical militarism," and waiting for the inevitable
uprising with revolution and general social smash up.

And I knew such was the belief of the Allies and the world generally.

Never was a more mistaken notion spread!

Germany, notwithstanding what blunders and miscalculations she was
accused of making, believed she would win.

This belief obsessed her.

Every movement, whether it achieves its direct object or not was made to
nail that belief more secure.

A great philosopher wrote many years ago the following maxims:--

"To the persevering--everything is possible."

"They will conquer who believe they can."

Germany believed she would conquer, and for forty years she had been
building up that belief.

[Illustration: "German aeroplanes were built from English types."

Chapter X.]

CHAPTER X.

"Made in Germany."

Grandpa Goche told the story of Germany's development with mingled
pride, yet with a tinge of regret.

We sat before his wide fireplace where a great fire crackled.

Puffing at his long pipe Grandpa Goche peered into the fire for a space
before answering my query as to Germany's destiny.

"The destiny of the Deutschland?" he finally exclaimed. "Ah! It will be
great and wonderful. But where it will end--who knows! Will it be like
the Tower of Babel, great in conception, great in execution