New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-07
How Long Can Germany Hold Out?
Bu CARL w. ACKERMAN
Copyright, 1917. The Tribune association
Registered in accordance c the copyright act Canada 1917
The Tribnne 1ssOclatiOn
The Tribune association

The TribuR
Weary Of the war, depressed and suffering,
the German people are to-day still fighting
the Kaiscr's battles because the Kaiser and
his generals are the greatest jugglers Of
human nature in Europe.
When Americans ask, "How long can Ger
many hold out?' I reply, "As long as the
German government can satisfy the vanity
and stimulate the nerves Of the people, and
as long as the people permit the government
to do the nations thinking"
How long time that will be no one can
say. It was formerly believed that whenever
\ nation reached the limit which Germany
has reached it would crumple up. But Ger
MANY fails to crumple. Instead of breaking
IN she fights harder and more desperately
WHY can she do this? The answer IS simple'
Because the German people believe IN tne'r
Government and the government knows tnst
40 long as il can convince the people that II
IS winning the war the people will fight.
Germany is to-day in the position OF a man
on the verge Of nervous breakdown; in the
position of a man who is under-nourished'
who is depressed, who is weighed down by
colossal burdens, who is broodng over the
loss Of friends and relatives, but Of man
who feels that his future health and happI-
ness depend upon his ability to hold out un-
til the crisis passes.
If physician were called in to prescribe
for such a patient his first act would IN all
nrobabilitv be to stimulate this mans nope
70 make him believe that if he would only
"hold out" he would pass the crisis success
fpIIv But no physician could say that MS
patient could stand it for one week mont"
or wear more. The doctor would nave 10
Gamble upon that mans nerves. He would
have to stimulate him daily, perhaps hourly.
On Verge of Breakdown
So il is with the German nation. Inc
country is on the verge of a nervous presN-
doyn Men and women, business men ana
Generals. long ago lost their patience. lhey
arc under-nourished. They are depressed
distressed. suffering and anxious for peace
II is as true of the Hamburg American Line
directors &C il is true Of the officers at the
front.
There have been more cases of nervous
breakdowns among the people during the last
year than at any time in Germanys history
There have been so many suicides that the
newspapers are forbidden to publish them
There have been so many losses on the bat
tlofelds that every family has been affected
rot once, but two, three and four times
Dance halls have been closed. Cafes and
hotels must stop serving meals by II o'clock
Theatres are presenting the most sullen
PLAYS. Rumors spread like prairie fires One
dav Hindenburg is dead. Two days later nc
is alive again
But the Kaiser has studied this war psy-
chology. He and his ministers know that one
thing keeps the German people fighting
their hope of ultimate victory; their belief
that they have won already. The Kaiser
knows. too. that If the pubic NINA Is SUNNI
lated from day to day by new victories, by
reports of many prisoners, of new territory
gained. of enemy ships torpedoed, or by
PROMISES of reforms after the war, the pur-
lie will continue fighting.
So the Kaiser CANDLES from day to day
with his peoples nerves. For two years he
has done this, and for two years he has been
supported by a 100000 army
and a larger army of workers and women at
home. The Kaiser believes he can gamble
for a long time yet with his people
Just as it is impossible for physician %
say how long his patient can be stimulated
without breaking down, so is it impossible f'r
an observer in Germany to say how long 1t
will be before the breakup comes IN Ter
many.