much our enemies have sinned against the truth.

"What have we achieved up till now? The dreaded invasion of Russian
cavalry was broken up by our frontier guards alone. Indeed, in many
cases only the Landwehr was needed to throw back the invaders. What
about the destruction of important buildings, railways, bridges and such
like? Nothing at all has happened."[45]

[Footnote 45: Condensed translation of the report in the _Leipziger
Volkszeitung_, August 11th.]

On another page of the same issue a long official army order to the
Press is given in which this paragraph occurs: "All news given out by
Wolff's Telegraph-Bureau may only be quoted literally as they stand and
the source named by the initials W.T.-B."

It is thus clear that the news-agency mentioned performs two separate
functions, although the German army authorities do not draw this
distinction. First, the circulation of reports issued by the Army
Headquarters in the field, for the truth of which the Berlin General
Staff guarantees. Secondly, the spreading of their own news, and
information supplied to them by other German Government departments. All
news published by the agency has thus received the stamp of official
authority, and the German public is too ignorant to recognize the
palpable fraud.

"Metz, August 3rd.--A French doctor, accompanied by two officers in
disguise, was caught yesterday while trying to infect the water supply
with cholera bacilli. He was at once shot under military law."[46]

[Footnote 46: _Deutsche Tageszeitung_, August 3rd.]

"The report of the Metz water supply being infected, which was given out
by Wolff's Bureau yesterday, proves to be a pure invention. The agency
informs us that there is no ground for uneasiness, but the state of
affairs at present makes it imperative to exercise great care."[47]

[Footnote 47: _Berliner Tageblatt_, August 4th.]

"Coblence, August 2nd.--The Government-president in Duesseldorf reports
that twelve motor-cars containing eighty French officers in Prussian
uniforms tried this morning to cross the Prussian frontier by Walbeck,
west of Geldern. The attempt failed."[48]

[Footnote 48: Ibid., August 3rd.]

Referring to this episode another paper wrote: "The alleged attempt of
whole caravans of French officers, masquerading as German lieutenants,
to enter the Rhine province as spies is too adventurous to be believed.
Especially as it is known that the Dutch frontier is very strictly
guarded.