A few days after the article appeared, in fact, as soon as a copy of the paper reached Germany, a thunderstorm of shells broke on the brewery.

Out of it poured a helter-skelter stream of stark-naked men, who ran wherever they could for cover.

From one point of view it was vastly comic.

In the meanwhile the building containing all their clothes, and all the spare clothing for a brigade, was being scientifically destroyed.

That was more comic still.