The German army settled down for a long war, instead of a short and easy one. And again we began to hear horrible stories. French towns and French people were suffering as the Belgians had suffered. And again we found the stories were true.

Every month some new and unbelievable violation was done.

People in the conquered towns were driven out of their homes like herds of cattle and made to work for Germany. No slavery the world ever knew was so dreadful as this.

English prisoners of war were starved and had dogs set on them by Germany.

And at last the German army began to fire on hospitals, stretcher-bearers, wounded men, and nurses. Of all the horrible things this seemed the worst. But something worse was to come.

TH

many could not get past the English fighting ships in the English Channel and the North Sea. The German Navy tried to protect them and to keep the food-ships away from England in turn. But the English Navy was the stronger, and the English commanders stopped the food-ships on their way and sent them into English and French harbors.

So Germany thought of a new way to starve England and win the war.

Germany had been making a great many submarines. The submarine is a fighting ship which can

go under water. It fires torpedoes at the enemy ships while it is under water. When it comes to the surface the crew fire guns. The submarine was invented by an American, and is used by nearly all countries. Germany had been making large and very powerful submarines.

In February, 1915, the German Government said to the world, "We are going to send our submarines out into the ocean around England, and sink every ship that comes near, no matter what country it belongs to, nor what it carries. We do not care whether it is a passenger ship or where it is going. We will sink the little fishing boats and the big steamers all alike. We will not give any warning, or try to save the people. We shall torpedo every ship we can catch. We will starve England at any cost to the world."

The German Government said this in more grownup words, but this was what the words meant.

We have heard about violations of International Law. This was a violation of International Law and of The Hague promises. It was more than that, it

was a violation of the human conscience. The world could not believe that Germany meant it.

On a spring day in 1915 the great steamship Lusitania sailed out of New York Harbor to cross to England. Our fathers and mothers have always liked to go to Europe by the Cunard Line, and the Lusitania was one of the best ships of the line. There were many families on board. Many mothers and little children who had to go home to England, Scotland, or France were traveling on the Lusitania because she was so safe and swift. There were more than a thousand people who had nothing at all to do with the war.

On the 7th of May, when the Lusitania was almost at the coast of England, an unseen submarine shot two torpedoes into her. There were two fearful explosions, and instantly the Lusitania began to sink. In the terrible fright and confusion, the crews hurried as fast as they could to lower the lifeboats. Brave men rushed about putting little children in the boats, and helping women. But faster and faster the Lusitania settled under them. There was no time, no help, no hope.

In less than twenty minutes the great ship sank to the bottom of the sea, and all those hundreds of

mothers and fathers and little children were struggling in the icy water.

Poor little babies! Like wax dolls, they floated a moment on the waves, helpless, then they sank beneath the whirling waters and were drowned.

One thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight people were murdered at sea that day by the German Government and its submarine!

While the whole civilized world was filled with horror and pity, Germany held a special holiday for her school-children, to celebrate the sinking. The German newspapers said, "With joy and pride we contemplate this latest deed of our navy." And Germany had medals made, celebrating the sinking of the Lusitania and making fun of the people who sailed in her!

Then the world knew that Germany meant what she said about submarines. And the world began to understand that Germany did not care for the things the other civilized countries had been learning to care for. She did not care for honor, and justice, and mercy. She only cared to get what she wanted by any means that would succeed.

Men who read and study the thoughts of other nations had been telling us for a long time that this