"THE MOST HORRIBLE CRIME."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 10 December 1914, Page 8

"THE MOST HORRIBLE CRIME."

A gentleman who has lived long and intimately amongst the Germans, and has travelled in many lands, in writing to a lady in Hawera, speaks of the war as being largely due to the barbarous self-seeking and chicanery which still characterise international diplomacy and politics. _ -Then he suggests that the grand seigneurs simply play upon the gullibility of the poor misguided fools who.slash swords, fire guns, and bellow about patriotism with the brainless blatancy of so many jumping Jingoes. The intrigues of diplomatists are, in his opinion, at the bottom of much of the trouble. While the murderous hubbub is on each country calls on God's aid and claims His favor, yet the fellows who bring about the horror are, in the main, the most godless wretches imaginable. Their principles and their, methods belong to another age—that of barbarous', heartless, designing selfishness. Yet, out here, it is hard to say where the. blame lies, right and wrong are so inextricably mixed up; and probably all are to blame in some degree—some more and some less; but, in the upshot, the present war is, in his opinion, the most horrible crime ever perpetrated on humanity.