“We are so much greater than they that whatever we do to advance our own interests, at the cost of theirs, is right and praiseworthy. If we kill a great many of them, those who survive will in the end be improved, because they will work for us and learn something by observing us. Any deceit is proper and morally correct if it benefits us; and when we practise a policy of terror upon those who oppose us it is really philanthropy and shows how gentle we are, because the survivors learn through our cruelty that it is useless to oppose us, therefore they the sooner submit their wills to ours. We can not do wrong, no matter what we do, so long as all that we do is for our own benefit. By our bright swords we will take possession of the earth which ought to belong to us, because we are Germans. We believe in the heaviest possible breeding of babies, that they may grow up and be trained to carry liquid fire and poison against any opposition to us. All the same, we are the only real peace-lovers in this malign and prejudiced world, which, except for us and the Austrians and the Bulgarians and the Turks, is composed exclusively of stupid ruffians who were so jealous and envious of us that they forced this war upon us, hoping to make some money out of us by annihilating us. We love peace, and are fighting for our mere existence--that is, the right to adjust our frontiers so that they will include the countries which we have conquered by the sword. We must never AGAIN be threatened by those rascals of Belgians!” BOOTH TARKINGTON. [Illustration] _The Two Giants_ _Germany: “I destroy!” America: “I create!”_ Uncle Sam has given the Germans three surprises. It was believed in Germany:-- 1st--That America would not break diplomatic relations; 2nd--That America would never fight; 3rd--That America could not fight. Forced to it, in self-defense, we are now giving all our energies to war, led by a President, whose vision meets the extent of the calamity brought on the world by the selfish ambitions of material Germany. American built ships will end the menace of the slinking U-boat. And after the war the flags of the American Merchant Marine once more will float on every sea. JAMES W. GERARD. _New York, July 12, 1918._ [Illustration] “_Will They Last, Father?_” The four greatest events in history; the advent of Christ, the discovery of America, the Reformation, and the French Revolution, are all we can compare with the days in which we are living--and dying.