This twentieth-century reign of terror is not, however, without a ray of humour.  The semi-official Koelnische Zeitung (August 4th) contained a legend which set all Germany hunting for French motor-cars.  “Several motor-cars with ladies in them, taking gold to Russia, are on their way across Germany.  They must be stopped and a communication sent to the nearest military or police station.”

“The occupants of the motor-cars carrying gold to Russia are said to have transferred the precious metal to cyclists dressed as bricklayers."[55]

[Footnote 55:  Das Kleine Journal (Berlin), August 5th.]

“The official announcement that French and Russian motor-cars had been seen on our country roads has aroused the otherwise leaden, heavy imaginations of the country people to the most incredible delirium.  We will limit ourselves to a single instance.  One of our cars met a peasant with a hand-waggon near Nerchau.  As soon as he perceived the motor he bolted in mad fright into a neighbouring corn-field.

“Our man called in a friendly voice:  ’My good fellow, what are you running away for?’ Then the hero answered in a trembling voice:  ’I thought it was a French motor!’"[56]

[Footnote 56:  Leipziger Volkszeitung, August 6th.]

On August 6th every important paper in the German Empire contained the following paragraph issued by the “Army Direction” in Berlin: 

“The hunt for alleged hostile motor-cars must stop.  It endangers the motor-car communications so necessary to our armies.”

This warning was repeated in stronger terms on the following day, and the roll of murdered victims began to leak out.  “Unfortunately through this hunt several persons have been wrongfully shot.  In Leipzig a doctor and his chauffeur have been shot, while between Berlin and Koepenick a company of armed civilians on the look-out for Russian motor-cars tried to stop a car.  The chauffeur was compelled to put the brakes on so suddenly that the motor dashed into a tree, with the result that the occupants—­several persons connected with the army—­were hurled on to the road and received dangerous injuries.

“In Munich a chauffeur was shot dead by a sentinel because he did not stop soon enough.  Even children are not spared in this degrading fear of spies.

“Near Bueren (Westphalia) the twelve-year-old daughter of Town Councillor Buddeberg in Bielefeld was returning with her mother from Marburg in a motor.  Somebody must have telephoned that the car was suspect, for the Landwehr Society placed armed sentinels at various points on the road.  They cried ‘Halt!’ to the chauffeur; just as the car was stopping, shots were fired, and the girl sank dead in the arms of her mother.

“Even the nationalist journals have expressed their astonishment that a civilian society is permitted to hold the public highways with armed guards.  At Coblence a teacher and organist named Ritter was shot by a sentinel."[57]