erve condemnation as inartistic
if it were not redeemed by the priest and the old woman.

WILLIAM MITCHELL RAMSAY.

[Illustration: THE SHIELDS OF ROSSELAERE

At Rosselaere the German troops forced the Belgian townsfolk to march in
front of them]

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THE OBSTINACY OF NICHOLAS

The venerable quip that what is firmness in ourselves is obstinacy in
our opponents is illustrated with a ludicrous explicitness in the whole
tenor of German official utterance since the failure of the great
drives. The obtuseness of the Allies is so abysmal (it is again and
again complained in the Reichstag and through Wolff) that they are
unable to see that Germany is the permanently triumphant victor. Whereas
for Germany, whose cause even the neutrals judge to be lost, to hold out
at the cost of untold blood and treasure is merely the manifestation of
heaven-conferred German steadfastness. The Army into whose obstinate
corporate head it is hardest to drive the idea of German military
all-powerfulness is the Russian, of which retreating units, actually
armed with staves against a superbly equipped (but innocent and wantonly
attacked) foe, were so stupid as to forget how to be broken and
demoralized.

And this long, imperturbable, _verdamte_ Nicholas, who was declared on
the highest German authority (and what higher?) to be annihilated twice,
having turned a smashing tactical defeat into strategical victory, bobs
up serenely in another and most inconvenient place. Absurd; particularly
when "what I tell you three times is true." ... Neonapoleon didn't
remember Moscow. But he will.

JOSEPH THORP.

[Illustration: "Why, I've killed you twice, and you dare to come back
again."]

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THE ORDER OF MERIT

Turkey had no illusions from the beginning on the subject of the war. If
the choice had been left to the nation she would not have become
Germany's catspaw. Unfortunately for Turkey, she has had no choice. For
years upon years the Sultan Abdul Hamid was Turkey. Opposition to his
will meant death for his opponent. Thus Turkey became inarticulate. Her
voice was struck dumb. The revolution was looked upon hopefully as the
dawn of a new era. Abdul Hamid was dethroned; his brother, a puppet, was
exalted,