Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-11
EDITOR
The Crisis in Germany

are locked in terrific struggle that is shaking the
empire.
Dispatches in the past 81 hours show the rising
| tide of criticism against the government and its
| submarine policy. The protests of the Catholic
party, voiced by Leader Erzberger, but faint
| mutterings of the storm brewing empire
pinched by hunger and living on hope instead of
food.
The stability of the government and possibly the
stability of the Hohenzollern dynasty rests on
the submarine campaign Germany has sustained
| a strategic defeat land. She has conquered
huge territory and it is not asset but liability.
She has a series of spectacular victories on
every 'front.' without decisive victory on any. She
has pushed her devoted soldiers to the last mile of
| their driving power, and made them "dig in" and
hold on through many weary months, until now they
can hold no longer and are being driven back over
| the territory they bought with lavish blood.
Checkmated on land, gripped in the Iron ring, y
Germanys sole hope of victory is in the U-boat-to
starve England out and bring the other Allies to
some sort of terms Russia through its revolu-
ton interrupted and may be able at least to hold
the German armies on the east. Berlns prospect
| of winning the war on the land vanished when Min
| lister Kerensky started the new Russian offensive.
Three weeks ago inside information from Ger
while it awaited the starving of England A letter
from Berlin to Copenhagen contained this unforget-
table picture:
Everyone believes England's defeat is the prime
consideration" the German writer declared Ger
mans regard England the nation responsible
for the prolonsation Of the The German govern
ment the navy, the army and the people not
ious to start open hostilities against America. Eng
land Is Germany's main enemy and Germany thinks
through the submarines she has found the weapon
The public expresses regret that English
and children win have to suffer through lack of food
but 1t remembers that the German women and chill
dren have been suffering for long time account
of Englands starvation blockade Of Germany
"of course, there is suffering here through lack of
adequate food. The children are growing thinner
All our faces are pnched, except those of the food
grafters. and there are plenty Of these It is true
that We have only enough to live But are 60
ing to go ahead and we watching daily the work
Of our submarines; in the meantime have cheering
news of vegetables and cereals that win be plentiful
Also meat rations have been increased and we
are told the submarines will be increasingly large.
we 90 not Know what WIN happen to Russia. She
may make q separate peace, In which Germany
would easily be able to lend her plenty OF money
even billions italy would undoubtedly make a sep
arate peace likewise II Russia took this STEP because
Italy fears for what the Austrian troops might do on
her borders II they released from the Russian
front asa..e gs>s..<: i. ssg-..<.s ~.
with this it seems probable France might also
agree to peace certain favorable conditions which
Germany would be willing TO grant.
Under such circumstances one thinks England
would be foolish enough stick in the war alone or
with the United States. II England did Germany
could literally put steel net Of submarines around
the British Isles and starve them out 1t would not
take more than a. few menths, either" -. y ~
Since then the criticism of the government has
suddenly sharpened. Very likely the German peo-
pie are embittered at finding out that their crop
prospects have been exaggerated AT any rate, in
reichstag yesterday Erzberger demanded that the
ruthlessness campaign be dropped.
Yet the government cannot drop this without
fercer storm. That storm might tear down the
Hollweg government.
1t s more likely that the protests will be stifed
the people placated, with more promises and with
compromises. Maximilian Harden's ringing voice
has been stilled with the suppression Of his paper
and the junker and Krupp press are filled with
unctuous reassurances. Next week. next month
within very short time-England Is to be starved
out. =.-... -.
Germany does not yet seem on the verge Of revolt,
even of political revolt. There is crisis in Berlin
but the country is not yet starved to the point of
overthrowng the lords it has been taught can do no
wrong.