Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1915. THE MADMAN OF EUROPE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 12 May 1915, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1915. THE MADMAN OF EUROPE.

"WHOM the gods wish to destroy they' i first drive mad." Nowhere is this truth i better illustlrated than in Germany's campaign of "frightfulness." She seeks to drive terror into the English, and to stop, the growth of the volunteer armies", by -mea-hs-of aeiial'bombardments of defenceless "non-military "positions; and "tife only- effect is to aligment the steady stream,of British volunteers to the recruiting stations. She seeks;to terrorise tho Allied armies, and to impress - neutrals by' employing,' in ' breach of all the rulies of wai-j such weapons as the liberation of poisonous, N « torturing gases:; and the immediate, result is to harden- the hearts of her foes and to further alienate the; sympathies of the civilised world. Every- bomb dropped'on a, defenceless village, and. every breach'of the canons of decent warfare, only steels; the will of the avengers,: and lengthens the , list on the 'day : of reckoning. If one more thing'was-needed L to turn from Germany 'all. American sympathy, and' to extinguish, the last chance of diplomatic "pressure by Washington- upon the Allies to mitigate their rigorous supervision.' of neutral 'shipping, that one necessary thing has been supplied by the sinking of the ; Lusitaifia—a crime which the Washington diplomats may for the'present overlook, but which, by non-official Americans, will never be forgotten. Even

in the Trans-Atlantic trade itself the

moral effect of the latest ' sample of "frightfulness" seems to have been inconsiderable, for, according to the -cablegrams, only twelve persons cancelled tljoir trip by. the next Cuhard liner; As 'to Italy-—where, perhaps, Berlin"-.thought

to cause a cold feeling to spread down the national spine—the newspaper "Secolo" takes the just and courageous

■view that the Lusitania crime "comes opportunely as a'moral'justification, for entering the field against a nation that is the-enemy,- not only of its immediate

foes, but of all mankind. If Germany

thinks to "hack her way through" by violating the just sentiments" of the world at large'y it is simply'part of the criminal madness that has characterised her whole policy! since the Kaiser surrendered- to the.war party. Systematic terrorism may be effective upon slaves/ but when practised r on free nations ' it simply arouses them .-to their highest efforts. For this reasonj \ the bombed cottages, the 'drowned and'"the asphyxiating gases merely mark milestones erected ■'"-■■ by Prussian militarism along: the road to. its Own- de : stouction. The/volunteer armies will not be checked,•' but will; multiply;: and neutrals -will not be turned;-"from their course .by barbaric' demonstrations that have no military' value. '"' Perhaps the United . States' Government 'will hot make wa ron Germany, and prooably it' is better so. The States are rendering the best service they'" can in supplying munitions, which they 'could; not do if they began to train ■ new armies of their own. At the moment the Allies' urgent need is notmeii so much as equipment, aiid the blundering crimes of the Teutonic barbarians are admirably calculated to keep up the supply of both.