The Submarine Murderers at Work--Germany’s Blackhand Warning--No Chance for Life--The Ship Unarmed and Without Munitions--The President’s Note--Germany’s Lying Denials--Coroner’s Inquest Charges Kaiser with Wilful Murder--“Remember the Lusitania” One of America’s Big Reasons for Declaring War 177 CHAPTER VII. STEADFAST SOUTH AFRICA Botha and Smuts, Rocks of Loyalty Amid a Sea of Treachery--Civil War that Ended with the Drowning of General Beyers and the Arrest of General De Wet--Conquest of the German African Colonies--The Trail of the Hun in the Jungle 210 ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME II PAGE TORPEDOING OF THE BRITISH BATTLESHIP, “ABOUKIR” _Frontispiece_ A BATTLE OF FOUR ELEMENTS 6 ESCAPING A TORPEDO BY RAPID MANEUVERING 10 HIDE AND SEEK IN THE BALTIC 22 DRIVING THE GERMAN COMMERCE RAIDERS FROM THE SEAS 26 AN AIRPLANE CONVOY 94 UNITED STATES DESTROYERS THROWING OUT A SMOKE SCREEN 130 GERMANY CARRIES THE WAR TO EAST COAST TOWNS OF ENGLAND 134 THE EYE OF THE SUBMARINE 138 THE SINKING OF THE GERMAN CRUISER “BLÜCHER” 142 WOMEN AT WORK THAT MEN MAY FIGHT 148 THE GERMAN CHANCELLORS 164 KAISER WILLIAM II OF GERMANY 172 GERMAN PIRACY ON THE HIGH SEAS 180 THE SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA 188 THE WORLD WAR CHAPTER I THE STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY ON THE SEA Captain Mahan’s thesis that in any great war the nation possessing the greater sea power is likely to win, has been splendidly illustrated during the World War. The great English fleets have been the insuperable obstacle to the ambitious German plans of world dominion. The millions of soldiers landed in France from Great Britain, and its provinces, the millions of Americans transported in safety across the water, and the enormous quantities of supplies put at the disposal of the Allies depended, absolutely, upon the Allied control of the sea routes of the world. With a superior navy a German blockade of England would have brought her to terms in a short period, and France, left to fight alone, would have been an easy victim. The British navy has saved the world.