were taught, were bent on their destruction. The military
class were exalted and all else degraded. Thus was laid the foundation
for the atrocities which have marked their conduct of the war.

The vastness of the conquest planned has recently been revealed by
August Thyssen, one of the greatest steel men of the empire. He tells
of a calling together, in the years before the war, of the industrial
and banking interests of the Nation, when a plan of war was laid before
them, and their support secured by the promise of spoils. France, India,
Canada, Australia were to be given over to German satraps. His share was
30,000 acres in Australia, with $750,000 provided by the Government for
its development. This was the promise made by the Kaiser. Here was the
motive of the war.

How it was provoked is told by Prince Lichnowski, the Ambassador of
Germany to London. He shows how he had reached agreements for a treaty
which would show the good will of Great Britain. Berlin refused to sign
it unless it should be kept secret. He shows how Germany used Austria to
attack Serbia; how mediations were refused; when Austria was about to
withdraw, Germany sent an ultimatum to Russia one day and the next day
declared war.

This diplomat sums up the whole case when he says: "I had to support in
London a policy the heresy of which I recognized. That brought down
vengeance on me because it was a sin against the Holy Ghost." What an
indictment of Germany from her own confession! A plan to use the
revelations of science for the sack and slavery of the earth; the
degradation, perversion, corruption of a whole people, and by those who
should have been the wardens of their righteousness, done for the
temporal glory of a military caste, and all in the name of divine right.

Much of this was not known in America when we declared war. It is with
great difficulty we realize it now. We had seen Germany going from
infamy to infamy. We did know of the violated treaty of Belgium, of the
piracy, the murder of women and children, the destruction of the
property and lives of our neutral citizens, and finally the plain
declaration of the German Imperial Government that it would wantonly
and purposely destroy the property and lives of any American citizen who
exercised his undoubted legal right to sail certain portions of the sea.
This attempt to declare law for America by an edict from Potsdam we
resisted by the sword. We see at last not only the hideous wic