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“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 through the violation of international law and the seizing of mail.

“6.  Imprisonment of German reservists aboard neutral ships.

“7. a.  Violation of Article I of The Hague Convention by the confiscation of the German hospital ship Ophelia. b.  Murdering of submarine crew upon command of British auxiliary cruiser Baralong. c.  Violation of Article XXIX, No. 1, of London Declaration by preventing American Red Cross from sending supplies to the German Red Cross.

“8. a.  Destruction of German cruisers Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse in Spanish territorial waters by English cruiser Highflyer. b.  Destruction of German cruiser Dresden in Chinese waters by British cruiser Glasgow. c.  Attack of British warships on German ship Paklas in Norwegian waters.

“9.  England armed her merchant ships for attack.

“10.  Use of neutral flags and signs by British merchantmen in violation of Articles II and III of the Paris Declaration.”