The Washington times., 1917-07-15
Chancellor Ends Long Career
AS Dean Of Europe's Premiers

The fall of Theobald Won Bethmann-
Hollweg removes the last of the
statesmen who were in charge OF the
great powers OF Europe at the begin
ming of the war. and brings to an end
a career which In successful playing
Of both ends against the middle was
almost without parallel In recent his
tory.
Chancellor Won Bethmann-H -Hollweg.
an ariStocrat and personal friend Of the
Emperor, stood out strongly against
democratic agitation before the war.
and At times was sharply outspoken
in his defiance OF socialism and his
rejection OF any move toward making
the chancellor and his subordinates.
the other ministers, responsible TO
the ReIchstag. Yet in the early
stages OF the war he became known
as a moderate, and II has been gener-
ally accepted that his influence was
usually employed against the break
ing of relations with America and
ruthless submarine warfare
When the opposition OF the parties
favoring the most desperate measures
became too strong for him. he conced-
ed a little ground, taking up a mid
die position in which he balanced
himself for a long time against both
the Conservative Junkers and the Ma
tional Liberal trust magnates on the
one side and the radical Socialists on
the other. Neither side could claim
him; neither could interpret his am
biguous utterances as support Of Its
policies, and between the antagonisms
Of the two he maintained his position
until at last he has been oyerthrown
by the attack OF Erzberger, leader OF
the more liberal wing OF the Catholic
party, the traditional holders Of the
middle ground.
Agility Demonstrated.
Bethmann Hollweg's agility is
demonstrated by the fact that he
has survived Asquith and Grey. Vi
vIani, Sazonoff, Berchtold, Salandra,
Jagow, and all the rest of the states
men who were in power in Europe
in August, 1914.
The attacks against the chancellor,
based upon his so-called weakness.
which meant his unwillingness to
bring any more neutrals into the war
than was necessary, began In the
summemr OF 1915. when Conserva-
tives, National Liberals, and militar-
lists generally began to criticise him
in newspapers and magazines. later
in public speeches. The threatening
American situation became one OF
the leading points OF attack on him,
for at that time. and, indeed, up TO
January 81 Of that year, Bethmann-
Hollweg was supposed to be one Of
the leaders of those who favored con
ciliation for America. and was cred
tied with the support OF the Kaiser
and Won Hindenburg.
Won Many Enemies
The American situation did not be-
come really menacing until the tor
pedoIng Of the Sussex in February,
1916. and Germany's eventual conces-
sions, which aVerted an immediate
crisis, in the April following, are now
conceded to have been due to the de-
cision OF the military headquarters
that the situation made II unwise to
provoke another powerful enemy. But
this concession redoubled the attacks
Of the reactionaries on the chancel-
lor. Anonymous pamphlets, some OF
which went SO far as to insinuate
that he had actually been bribed by
England, were widely circulated. 1t
was declared that he had declared
that II was impossible to starve Eng
land by the submarines, a statement
held up a. a sign Of contemplate
weakness.
Meanwhile, in a speech delivered in
the Reichstag in April, 1916, he had
taiked-ambiguously war aims,
and had said: After the war there
must be q new Belgium" This dark
saying was construed by the Liber-
ais to be q procurement in favor
OF annexation, and q formal denial
of this, when quoted by the Socialist
Scheidemann In a public speech,
stirred up quite as much anger as II
allaysd. Moreover, many Germans
had never forgiven his frank admis-