The beginning of the year 1898 brought me much anxiety. Not domestic anxiety or heart sorrow or worry about money. My troubles—faithfully shared indeed by my husband—were far away from Harmannsdorf; they were on the distant ocean. The United States warship, the _Maine_, blows up. The suspicion is rife that the ship was destroyed by the Spaniards; can it be true? In heaven’s name, what is not possible among men, who in general regard hate and slaughter as “political” weapons? In American jingo circles there is a mad craze to declare war on Spain as a punishment for this—“unproved”—crime. I have direct information that in government circles (with McKinley at the head) as well as in wide circles among the people, the peace sentiment is strong. In Spain also there is excitement, in the name of national honor. The journals _Globo_ and _Liberal_ (how everything calls itself liberal!) regard any concession in the Cuban question, any acceptance of an indemnity, as out of reason,—rather, utter ruin, “rather let us all perish!” And the Bishop of Madrid heads a subscription for the purchase of battle ships. Long the scales waver this way and that. Our friends in America and also in Europe put forth their utmost efforts. Petitions are sent to McKinley, to the Queen Regent—but in vain. The May number of my magazine appeared with a black border, and printed the following text on the front page: Bordered with mourning black we present here the tidings that in the last week of April, 1898—so short a time before the entrance of a new century—the grewsome fury and bearer of the old barbarism is again let loose. What makes our trouble harder to endure is this: America, the cradle and shelter of the peace movement—America, which scarcely a year ago was on the point of putting into vigorous actuality the long-cherished ideal of the first permanent arbitration treaty—America, which is unacquainted with militarism—America must be the field where war is let loose! By that outbreak the signal for a universal war may have been given, for who can foresee the consequences? There is a fire; the burning rafters are flying, and all our roofs are thatched with straw—with petroleum-soaked straw. Once again has the mighty Ancient won the victory over the as yet not sufficiently strengthened New. Again Force chooses to set itself up as the judge and avenger of sins committed by Force, and heaps up sins on sins all calling for revenge. Cruelty and oppression in Cuba; that was the long-continued accumulation of the “unendurable.” Why could not the European Concert have swept this “unendurable” off the face of the earth? Because they will not grant the principle that peoples may be allowed to throw off the yoke.