The occurrences in Belgium are infamous beyond all description.  Germany would have exposed itself to the danger of a military defeat if it had still respected the neutrality of Belgium after it had been announced that strong French detachments stood ready to march through that country against the advancing German Army.  The Belgium Government was assured that its interests would be conscientiously guarded if it would permit the German Army to march through its territory.  Its answer to this assurance was a declaration of war.  In making this declaration it acted perhaps not wisely but unquestionably within its formal rights.  It was, however, not right, but, on the contrary, a disgraceful breach of right, that the eyes of wounded German soldiers in Belgium were gouged out, and their ears and noses cut off; that surgeons and persons carrying the wounded were shot at from houses.

Private dwellings of Germans in Antwerp were plundered, German women were dragged naked through the streets by the mob and shot to death before the eyes of the police and the militia.  Captains of captured German ships in Antwerp were told that the authorities could not guarantee their lives, German tourists were robbed of their baggage, insulted and mishandled, sick persons were driven from the German hospital, children were thrown from the windows of German homes into the streets and their limbs were broken.  Trustworthy reports of all these occurrences, from respectable and responsible men, are at hand.  We perceive with the deepest indignation that the cruelties of the Congo have been outdone by the motherland.  When it comes to pass that in time of war among nations the laws of humanity respecting the helpless and the unarmed, the women and children, are no longer observed, the world is reverting to barbarism.  Even in wartimes humanity and honor should still remain the distinguishing marks of civilization.  That French and Russians, in their endeavors to spy upon Germany and destroy her institutions, should disguise themselves in German uniforms is a sorry testimony to the sense of honor possessed by our opponents.  He who ventures to conduct espionage in a hostile land, or secretly to plant bombs, realizes that he risks the penalty of death, whether he be a civilian or a member of the army.  Up to the present, however, it has not been customary to use a uniform, which should be respected even by the enemy, to lessen the personal risk of the spy and to facilitate his undertaking.

For a number of years there have been increasing indications that France, Russia and England were systematically spying upon the military institutions of Germany.  In the eight years from 1906 to 1913; 113 persons were found guilty of attempted or accomplished espionage of a grave nature.  The methods employed by these spies included theft, attacks upon military posts and the employment of German officers’ uniforms as disguises.  The court proceedings threw a clear