ed honour; to the treacherous spirit of Germany it
opposes inviolable truth; to the relentless selfishness of Germany it
opposes the vicarious sacrifice of self, of a whole country and nation
for the sake of a principle. And, in later days, men will remember how
this truly great king held steadfastly to the little portion of his
kingdom that the invasion left him; how he remained to inspirit his men
by noble example, stubbornly rejecting peace without honour, and
holding, when all else was wrecked, to the remnants of that army which
saved Europe in the gateway of Liege. Amid violation, desecration, and
destruction, Albert of Belgium has won imperishable fame.

E. CHARLES VIVIAN.

[Illustration: KING ALBERT'S ANSWER TO THE POPE

"With him who broke his word, devastated my country, burned my villages,
destroyed my towns, desecrated my churches, and murdered my people, I
will not make peace before he is expelled from my country and punished
for his crimes."]

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THE GAS FIEND

There is an order of minds that intuitively distrusts Science, detracts
from the force of her achievements, and contends that devotion to
machinery ends by making men machines. Many who argue thus have fastened
on Germany's new war inventions as proof that Science makes for
materialism and opposes the higher values of humanity and culture.

This is special pleading, for against the destructive forces discovered
and liberated by German chemists in this war, one has only to consider
the vast amelioration of human life for which modern science has to be
thanked. Because art has been created to evil purpose, shall we condemn
pictures or statues? Because the Germans have employed gas poisons in
warfare, are we to condemn the incalculable gifts of organic chemistry?

Look at the eye of Louis Raemaekers' snake. That is the answer. It is
the force behind this application of it that has brought German Science
to shame. A precious branch of human knowledge has been prostituted by
lust of blood and greed of gain until Science, in common with all
learning, comes simply to be regarded by the masters of Germany as one
more weapon in the armoury, one more power to help win "The Day." Every
culture is treated in their alembic for the same purpose.

We may picture the series of experiments that went to perfection of
their poison gas; we