WHO ARE THE HUNS?

364
False Colors and Ruses of War.
which would expose the merchant marine of the Netherlands
to the dangers of a war." 1
We refer the reader to the developments in the question
of deception by misuse of flags as given in the two preceding
chapters.
One may justly declare that there is scarcely one great maritime
power in the world to-day whose neutrality in this war
has not been outraged by England either by the abuse of its flag
or by other means. 2
1 Flagrant violations of neutrality and a shameless misuse of flags have
been shown by the English in the following cases (March, 1915) :
Captain Wilson, who was taking a Swedish cargo from Spain to Karlskrona,
was held up at Dover. A number of English soldiers came aboard
and their commander said to the Captain.: "I have orders to accompany neutral
ships for a certain distance, so that my men can let fly at any German submarine
that shows itself." Although the Captain made a formal protest and
characterized the conduct of the Englishmen in strong language as in the
highest degree outrageous and dishonorable, the English crew remained on
board.
In the same fashion the English forced Captain John L. Duffy of the
American ship "Brynhilda," to receive one officer and ten men aboard, for
the purpose of attacking German submarines. When the submarine officer
ascended the turret to ascertain the nationality of the ship, he would be shot.
In spite of protests, the ship was brought into Aberdeen. What of the American
Government ? Could there be a greater or more wanton outrage against neutrality
?
What German U-boats have to expect from ships under neutral flags,
under certain circumstances, is shown by the following statements of neutral
ships' officers.
Captain Hanssen and First Officer Jannssen, both American citizens,
of the American steamer "Oliver J. Olson," made coinciding statements to
the following effect: "We put out from Savannah via Scotland for Bremen.
Off the Island of Foula, west of Scotland a lieutenant, a cadet, and six
seamen came on board from the English auxiliary cruiser "Celtic," and brought
us into Kirkwall. During this voyage the lieutenant, who had taken command
of the ship, declared that if a German submarine appeared, he would endeavor
to ram her with the "Oliver J. Olson." And even self-subsisting, independent
states apparently condone these piratical methods without protest. In connection
with such practices, which knock all conceptions of law on the head,
the methods of warfare of the German navy are quite justifiable and logical,
even against those states which suffer, allow and give countenance to
such actions without taking the most rigorous measures against them.
2 Holland has in her Statute Book of the State registered a severe