Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War Volume II Part 14

O grave, where is thy victory?" Formerly they had sounded in our ears as chords of solemn music, breathing consolation; now that we see them clearly to be triumphant verities, living and everlasting truths, they ring out like a trumpet call, summoning and inspiring the living to stronger action. The work continues though the hand that moulded it perishes; the body dies, but the soul lives on. There is no sting in the grave when on either side men press forward to one immortal goal and when living and dead battle together for incorruptible principles.

Whether individually we live or die signifies nothing, if that high cause for which we fight wins. Lord Kitchener's death will not interfere with the work he had undertaken, nor shall his pa.s.sing delay, but rather shall it hasten the victory to which he looked forward.

_Land and Water, London, June 8, 1916._

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_Crown Prince_: "_We must have a higher pile to see Verdun, Father._"

The Crown Prince, after the gigantic effort of his armies, was confronted with problems more vast, with a resistance more confident and more efficient, than those which he had had to face in the opening days of the Verdun offensive. In three days the French had been driven off their first positions along a large portion of the Verdun front; over a month later they were still defending with increasing vigour their second line. Behind that line lay yet another, and the prospect of the fall of Verdun was but faint upon the German horizon. The French could already count upon victory, the price of Verdun having already been exacted in the enemy's blood, without the position having been captured.

That price, it was said, had been fixed by the Imperial General Staff at 200,000 casualties.

_The Times History of the War._

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_THIS WILL MAKE WILLIAM JEALOUS; IT BEATS HIS NURSE CAVELL._

Signor Baltisti, before the war, was Deputy for Trent in the Austrian Parliament, and in that position was a strong advocate of irredentist claims in the Trentino. When war broke out he joined a Trentino regiment under the Italian flag.

He was captured by the Austrians in June, 1916, and executed, although he wore an Italian uniform. His corpse was publicly hanged on a gibbet in the city of Trent.

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_SUMMER TIME, 1916--FIVE ON A BENCH_

The Summer of 1916 saw the Germans defeated at Verdun on the Somme and at Riga. The Austrians were defeated in the Trentino and the Bukovina.

The Turks continued their retreat in Asia Minor and the Caucasus, while the Entente Allies advanced upon the Bulgarians from Saloniki.

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_CIVILISATION_: "_WHAT IS THE VERDICT._"

The Government has carried on the war in accordance with methods which are even incompatible with everything which has been done hitherto--the violation of Belgium and Luxemburg; the use of poison gases, which were subsequently used by the other belligerents; there were Zeppelin bombs which killed both combatants and noncombatants, a submarine war on commerce, the torpedoing of the _Lusitania_, etc.; pillage and extortion of tribute, beginning with Belgium; the internment and imprisonment of the population of the eastern provinces; various devices for forcing prisoners to work against their own country, by spying for the Central Powers, thereby committing an act of high treason; contracts arranged between Zimmermann and Sir Roger Cas.e.m.e.nt in December, 1915, for the formation of armed units of English prisoners of war, for the purpose of forming the Irish brigade. Besides these, other attempts must be mentioned, which were made among the foreigners in concentration camps in Germany, threatening them with internment unless they betrayed their own countries and placed themselves at Germany's disposal.

KARL LIEBKNECHT.

_June, 1916_.

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_TO THE END_

_War and Hunger_: "_Now you must accompany us to the end._"

_The Kaiser_: "_Yes, to my end._"

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_THE CONFEDERATES_

"_Did they believe that peace story in the Reichstag, Bethmann?_"

"_Yes, but the Allies didn't._"

Germany, using in turn force when she believes herself strongest and craft when she feels herself growing feebler, is today resorting to craft. She is spreading abroad the illusive word "peace." Where does this word come from? To whom has it been spoken? And on what conditions?

And to what end? By her ambiguous man[oe]uvres Germany reckons on dividing the allied countries. No one among us will fall into such a trap. I have said, and I repeat, that when blood flows in streams, when our troops with so much self-sacrifice are giving up their lives, the word "peace" is a sacrilege if it means that the aggressor will not be punished and if tomorrow Europe runs the risk of again being delivered up to the despotism, fantasy, and caprice of a military caste athirst for pride and domination. It would be the dishonor of the Allies! What should our reply be if tomorrow, after having concluded such a peace, our countries were dragged anew into the frenzy of armaments? What would future generations say if we committed such an act of folly and if we missed the opportunity which is offered us of establis.h.i.+ng on solid foundations a lasting peace?

ARISTIDE BRIAND, _Premier of France.

June, 1916._

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"_BUNKERED_"