In view of what we have experienced during this first week of the war we can already calmly assert that when the editors of foreign newspapers come later to compare their daily news of this week with the actual occurrences as testified to by authentic history, they will all open their eyes in astonishment and anger over all the lies which the countries hostile to Germany have sent over the cables to bamboozle the whole world.  Much of all this has already become ridiculous; we must laugh over it despite the solemnity of the crisis in which we are living—­for example, the bestowal of the cross of the Legion of Honor upon the city of Liege by the French President because it victoriously repulsed the attack of the Germans.  Witness, too, the telegrams of congratulation sent by the King of England and the Czar of Russia to the Belgian King upon the victory of Liege!  The joy over such “German defeats” will prove just as brief as the jubilation over such “Belgian victories.”  Such lies have short legs, and the truth will in any case soon overtake them.

But there are other lies of a more serious character and of more dangerous import—­all such as misrepresent Germany’s attitude and defame German character.  Such defamation is designed to disturb old friendships and transform them into bitter estrangement; such defamation can also attain its hostile purpose wherever people do not say daily to themselves, “It is an enemy that reports such things about Germany; let us be wise and suspend our judgment till we know actual results, till we know what is surely the truth.”

Let us select several facts as examples and as evidence—­facts connected with the preparation for this war, as well as with the conduct of it thus far.

All the cables controlled by the English-French-Russian coalition disseminate the lie about the ostensibly “preventive war” that Germany wished and prepared for.  The German “White Book” prints documents proving the white purity of the German conscience as represented by Kaiser, Chancellor, and people.  It reveals also the profound grief of the German Kaiser over the sly and insidious perfidy of the Czar, toward whom he steadily maintained German fidelity even in hours of grave danger.  What Russia did was more than a mere attack, it was a treacherous assault.  The following facts prove this: 

The German mobilization was ordered on Aug. 1, whereas Russia began to mobilize fully four weeks earlier, or about the beginning of July.  Papers found on several Russian harvest laborers arrested in the district of Konitz show that the Russian military authorities had already by the first of July—­i.e., immediately after the tragedy at Serajevo—­sent to the leaders of these men mustering-in orders, which were to be distributed immediately after a further word should be given.  These confiscated papers prove that Russia hoped to be able to mobilize against Austria before Germany could get official information of Russia’s