Produced by Richard Hulse, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE GERMAN WAR THE GERMAN WAR BY ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE AUTHOR OF "THE GREAT BOER WAR," ETC. HODDER AND STOUGHTON LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO MCMXIV _Printed in Great Britain by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld.,_ _London and Aylesbury_ PREFACE These essays, upon different phases of the wonderful world-drama which has made our lifetime memorable, would be unworthy of republication were it not that at such a time every smallest thing which may help to clear up a doubt, to elucidate the justice of our cause, or to accentuate the desperate need of national effort, should be thrown into the scale. The longest essay appeared in _The Fortnightly Review_ and the shorter ones for the most part in _The Daily Chronicle_. I have left them as written at the time, even where after-events have caused some modification of my views. ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. WINDLESHAM, CROWBOROUGH, _November 1914._ CONTENTS PAGE I. THE CAUSES OF THE WAR 1 II. THE WORLD-WAR CONSPIRACY 32 III. THE DEVIL'S DOCTRINE 41 IV. THE GREAT GERMAN PLOT 55 V. THE "CONTEMPTIBLE LITTLE ARMY" 65 VI. A POLICY OF MURDER 79 VII. MADNESS 89 VIII. GREAT BRITAIN AND THE NEXT WAR 99 IX. AFTERTHOUGHTS 144 * * * * * I THE CAUSES OF THE WAR This article, stating the British case, was issued as a recruiting pamphlet in Great Britain, but was used abroad as a simple explanation which would enable neutrals to understand the true facts. It was published in full by fifty leading journals in the United States, and was translated into Dutch and Danish, 25,000 copies being distributed in each country. The causes of the war are only of moment to us, at this stage, in that we gain more strength in our arms and more iron in our souls by a knowledge that it is for all that is honourable and sacred for which we fight. What really concerns us is that we are in a fight for our national life, that we must fight through to the end, and that each and all of us must help, in his own fashion, to the last ounce of his strength, that this end may be victory. That is the essence of the situation. It is not words and phrases that we need, but men, men--and always more men. If words can bring the men, then they are of avail. If not, they may well wait for the times to mend. But if there is a doubt in the mind of any man as to the justice of his country's quarrel, then even a writer may find work ready to his hand.