The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-06-23

mans asked Ambassador James w.
Gerard. after our diplomatic relations
had been broken. to request Mr.. VIII
ron, in case Congress declared war, to
draw q distinction between the Kaiser
and the people; between that system
o. government and democracy. They
declared that II the President would
10 this, he would aid the democratic
movement in Germany and give the
people to understand that they could
have peace whenever they ruled them
selves; whenever they had the power
to determine their own foreign policies
and their peace terms.
lived and travelled in Germany Tor
two years, and I 6Dcame acquainted
with many officials and people. went
to the various battle fronts from the
Somme to Verdun and from Russia 70
Rumania. At first It appeared to me-
90 II there was no difference between
the government and the public. but.
during the past eighteen months. there
has been q decided change In internal
conditions and public sentiment. The
Fathsrland IL divided. Although It
still ftehts "ss enc man." Il dees not
think "as one man." There Is q pow
erful. liberal peoples movement and
there Is . rich. Pan-German autocracy
The Socialists are the real leaders OF
the former and the agrarians, the an
pexationists, the mobiles and the indus.
trial leaders are supporting the latter.
The Kaiser, Field Marshal Won Hin.
denburg, Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg and the government are "one
the fence" They are dickering for
time and for military success. They
are plaoating the peoples when circum.
stances demand It, and when they can
do 80 without antagontsing the Extrem'
lists. The leaders side with the Pan
Germans when they can do 10 without
arousing the Socialists They are play.
Ing a waiting game" II the Kaiser
wins the war. he can fulfill the extrav.
agant expectations Of the wealthy sup.
porters of the monarchy and satisfy
the people. too. because they would
IKE to win. II the war 10 lost, or II 1t
must be compromised, them the gov.
eminent can promise the people re-
forms and the landed interests and
the mobiles will not be in . position to
object, because they will not have the
power. Ny being "neutral' now, the
government will be able to side with
whatever party is the stronger when
peace comes
Imperial Government Satisfied
,. Both. Sides.
Liberalism and Autocraey have been
mobilixing their forces In Germany for
nearly two years. The first great
clash came last December. when the
Socialists demanded peace: when the
militarists clamored for unrestricted
submarine war. The gevernment sat
isfied both By making Q sham peace
propossl first and then by declaring =
submarine blockade zone about Allied
coasts. Next to peaee the people want.
ed u,toat war because they believed Il
would HASTkN peaes.
Recently there was another period
q social unrest, and the government
had to compromise by permitting the
Reichstag to appoint committee to
revise the Constitution. Herr Philip
Scheidemann. leader Of the majority
Socialist party, was named chairman.
The Socialists will be satisfied for a
time to fiddle with constitutional re-
form while the nation burns, but
there will be other periods Of popular
discomfort as the war goes on and -
our strength devslops., The Emperor
has promised election reforms after
the war, knowing that, II he loses, he
will have to keep his promises, but
that, II be wins, II will not be necess.
ary to do 20. Meanwhile flirtations
with Russia with separate peace
possibility make the people believe the
ultimate victory" they have been
promised, IL nearing.
I stated ut the beginning that this
was a war between peoples as far as
military operations are concerned.
But II Is more than that. It 10 fight
between informed, free citizens Of
great denocracies and mieinformsd
subjects of powerful military organ. |
isation. From time TO time the Ger.
mans have. had svisions. Of their, goy-
ernnaent's deceit. but the officials. |
through An inhuman censorship, mold
political opinion at will. The censor
ship Is q cure-all for political dlscon-
test. Late last December Consul vont
Haeften, one Of the directors OF the
food propaganda department, called |