t know before the publication of the Entente Note [The
Allies' peace reply to Germany] what we were up against, now we know.
The mask fell. Now we have confirmation of the intentions to rob and
conquer us which, caused the individual entente nations to league
together and conduct the war. The neutrals will now see the situation
more clearly. For us it is war, literally to be or not to be a German
nation. Never did such an appeal [The Entente Note] find such a
fruitful echo in German hearts. . . ."

* * * * *

"I begin with England, our worst enemy."

On page 31 Admiral Hollweg speaks of the fact that at the beginning of
the war many Germans, especially those in banking and business circles,
felt that Germany was so indispensable to England in peace time that
England would not conduct a war to "knock out" Germany. But Hollweg
says the situation has now changed.

On pages 122 to 126 he justifies the ruthless submarine warfare in the
following way:

"It is known that England and her allies declared at the beginning of
the war that they would adhere to the Declaration of London. It is
just as well known that England and the Allies changed this declaration
through the Orders in Council and other lawless statements of authority
until the declaration was unrecognisable and worthless--especially the
spirit and purpose of the agreement were flatly pushed aside until
practically nothing more remains of the marine laws as codified in
1909. The following collection of flagrant breaches of international
law will show who first broke marine laws during the war."

"Ten gross violations of marine law in war time by England.

"1. Violation of Article IV of the Maritime Declaration of April 16th,
1855. Blockading of neutral harbours in violation of international law.

"2. Violation of Article II of the same declarations by the
confiscation of enemy property aboard neutral ships. See Order in
Council, March 11th, 1915.

"3. Declaration of the North Sea as a war zone. British Admiralty
Declaration, November 3, 1914.

"4. England regarded food as contraband since the beginning of the war.
The starvation war. England confiscated neutral food en route to
neutral states whenever there was a possibility that it would reach the
enemy. This violated the recognised fundamental principles of the
freedom of the seas.

"5. Attempt to prevent all communications between Germany and neutral
countries