Village books

He also was very
depressed.
Acting on my own responsibility, I sent the following letter to
the Chancellor:
"Your Excellency:
Is there nothing that my country can do? Nothing that I can
do towards stopping this dreadful war?
I am sure that the President would approve any act of mine
looking towards peace.
Yours ever,
(Signed) JAMES W. GERARD."
To this letter I never had any reply.
On the first of August at five P. M. the order for mobilisation
was given, and at seven-ten P. M. war was declared by Germany on
Russia, the Kaiser proclaiming from the balcony of the palace
that "he knew no parties more."
Of course, during these days the population of Berlin was greatly
excited. Every night great crowds of people paraded the streets
singing "Deutschland Ueber Alles" and demanding war. Extras,
distributed free, were issued at frequent intervals by the
newspapers, and there was a general feeling among the Germans
that their years of preparation would now bear fruit, that Germany
would conquer the world and impose its _Kultur_ upon all nations.


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