The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-08

ueSlre Tor peace with America
After this dispatch was printed
was called to the home of Frau Won
Schroeder, the American born wife of
one of the intelligence office of the
general staff. Captain Vanselow. chief
of the admiralty intelligence depart
ment. was there, and had brought
with him the Manchester Guardian.
He asked me where ! got the infor-
nation and who had passed the dis
patch He said the navy was up
In arms and had issued orders to the
general telegraph Office that. mas
much as Germany was under martial
law, no kilograms were to he passed
containing the words submarines.
navy. admiralty or marine, or any Off
GERS of the navy, without having them
referred to the admiralty for a second
censoring. This order virtually multi
fed the censorship powers of the for
eign Officer | saw that the navy de-
partment was again in the saddle and
that the efforts of the chancellor TO
maintain peace might not be success
full after all But the conference at
great headquarters lasted longer than
anyone expected. The first news we
received of what had taken place was
that Secretary Won Jagow had inform
ed the kaiser he would resign before
he would do anything -Which-ntght
cause trouble with the United States.
Divided on U-Boat Issue.
Germany was split wide open by the
submarine issue. For a while it look
cd as If the only possible adjustment
would be either for Won Tirpitz to go
and his policies with him, or for Won
Jagow and the chancellor to go, with
the corresponding danger of rup-
ture with America. But Won Tirpitz
would not resign. He left great head
quarters for Berlin and intimated to
his friends that he was going 10 run
the navy to suit himself. But the
chancellor, who had the support of
the big shipping interests and the
fnancIers. saw a possible means of
checkmating Won Tirpitz by forcing
Adviral Won Pohl to resign as chief
of the admiralty staff. They finally
persuaded the katser to accept HIS
resignation ana appoint Admiral Won
Holtzendorff as his successor. Won
Holtzendorffs brother was director
OF the Hamburg American line and
an intimate friend of A Balm the
general director of the company. The
chancellor believed that by having a
friend Of his as chief of the admi-
Taltb SldlA no CIuSTS WDuIu De lSSueu 10
submarine command ers contrary to
the wishes of the chancellor. because
according TO the rules Of the German
navy department, the chief of the adj
m1ralty staff must approve all naval
plans and ssfgn all orders to fleet COM
manders.
Throughout this time the one thing
which frightened the foreign office
was the fear that President Wilson
might break off diplomatic relations
before the foreign office had an op-
portunity to settle the difference with
the United States. For that reason
Am bassador Gerard was kept advised
-1NtHititreirrstrasse rf the tnteruHt tie
velopments In Germany and asked TO
report them fully. but confdentially.
to Wilson. So. during this crisis
when Americans were demanding a |
break with Germany because of Ger
many's continued defiance of Prcsi- |
cent Wilson's notes, the American
government knew that If the foreign |
Office was given more, time 1t had a |
coed chance of succeeding in cleaning
house. A rupture al that time would !
have destroyed all the efforts Of the
foreign office to keep the German !
machine within bounds. It |
would have overthrown Won Jagow /
and Won Bethma1n Hollweg and put /
10 Won Tirpitz as chancellor and Won /
the reactionary leader !
vi the prussian diet, as secretary OF I
state. At that time all the democratic
forces of Germany We're lined up with
the foreign Office. The people who
hlushed for Belgium, the hnanciers
who were losing money, the shipping
interests whose tonnage was locked
N belligerent or neutral harbors, the
Socialists fftti people who were anx-
GUS and praying for peace, were look
ng to the foreign office and to Wash
nRton to avoid a break.
CONTINUED tomorrow