Still his book has had due influence on German public opinion.  A German lady in a book full of hysterical hate[223] has based a foul charge upon Norden’s statements (besides publishing his experiences the missionary has delivered many public lectures), that the English and French left German women to the mercies of the natives!

[Footnote 223:  Louise Niessen-Deiters:  “Kriegsbriefe einer Frau” ("The War Letters of a Woman"), p. 56.]

“In the hearts of all those Germans who in this great time, are banished from the Fatherland and who do not know how things really stand, there burns a great hate, hate for England and the ardent desire to fight against her—­the basest and most hated of all our enemies.

“I have come to the end of my report, which contains only a fraction of the outrages committed by Albion.  And this nation talks of German atrocities!  If all the lies spread by the English Press were true, even then England would have every reason to be dumb.  Only he who has felt the effects of English hate upon his own person can understand the brutal deeds perpetrated recently on Germans in London and Liverpool.  There, England’s moral depth is revealed only too clearly, and before the world she seeks to drag us down to the same level."[224]

[Footnote 224:  Norden’s book, p. 43 et seq.]

Considering that the total number of Germans captured in the Cameroons is only equal to the number of civilians murdered or wounded in British towns by Zeppelin bombs, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds to the German Government, one begins to wonder whether Norden and his countrymen possess any sense of proportion.  Germans are assiduous students of Shakespeare, but have seemingly overlooked the comedy:  Much ado about Nothing.

Ireland is another text for long and windy sermons of German hate, but the conclusion of one of these tirades[225] will suffice to show Germany’s real motive.

[Footnote 225:  Dr. Hans Rost:  “Deutschland’s Sieg, Irland’s Hoffnung” ("Germany’s Victory, Ireland’s Hope"), p. 25 et seq.]

“At present the direction of the Irish revolutionary movement is in the hands of Professor Evin MacNeill, Mac O’Rahilly and, above all, Sir Roger Casement.  The final acceptance of the ’Constitution of Irish Volunteers’ was carried on Sunday, October 25th, 1914, in Dublin.  At that congress of Irish volunteers—­who to-day number more than 300,000 well-armed men—­special stress was laid on the fact that the volunteers are Irish soldiers and not imperialistic hirelings.

“Further the members of the organization have engaged not to submit under any circumstances to the Militia Ballot Act, a kind of national service law which, remarkable to say, is only enforced in Ireland.

“The Irishmen are thronging to join the movement, and pamphlets are being distributed, and appeals made on all sides.  Besides which, weapons are being gathered and money collected.  The entire episcopacy of Ireland has warned the young men against enlisting in English regiments on the ground that they will be placed in regiments to which no Catholic priest is attached.  The warning has been most successful in hindering recruiting.  In order to break the opposition of the bishops, England has appointed a special representative to the Vatican.