The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-14
HOW THE JUNkERS FELT
UPWARD NEUTR.AI4S


When the ministers arrived at the
kaiser's headquarters his majesty
asked each one to make a complete
report on the submarine war as 1t
anected his department.
DR.. Helfferich was asked to go into
the question of German finance and
me relation of America to 1t. DR..
sof, the colonial minister. who had
been very good friend OF Ambassa
DOR Gerard, discussed the question of
the submarine warfare from the
standpoint of its relation to Germany's
position as world power. Admiral
Won Capelle placed before the kaiser
the figures of the number of ships
sunk. their tonnage. the number OF
submarines operating. the number
under construction and the mum her
lost General Won Falkenhayn report
ed on the military situation and dis
cussed the hypothetical question as to
what effect American Intervention
would have upon the European war
theaters.
While the conferences were going
on DIR. Hccksher and Under Secretary
zimmerman, who at that time were
anxious to avoid n break with the
United States, sounded Ambassador
Gerard rs TO whether he would be
willing to go 70 great headquarters
to confer with the kaiser, The for
eign office at the same time suggested
the matter to the general staff and
within a few hours Mr.. Gerard was
invited to go to Charleville Before
the ambassador arrived the kaiser
called all of his ministers together
for Joint session and asked them 10
make a brief summary OF their argu-
ments. This was not q peace meeting.
Not only opponents of submarine war
fare, but its advocates, modified all
their forces in Il final attefr PIT to win
the. kaiser's approval His majesty.
at this time. was inclined toward
peace with America and was very
much impressed by the arguments
which the chancellor and Or, Hels-
ferich presented. But at this meet |
Ing, while HelTerich was talking and
pointing to the moral effect which
the ruthless torpcdoing Of ships was
hEvfnE uu0u neTrrGr C0uTrTies. Won
Falkenhayn interrupted With the sue
cinct statement:
"Neutrais? Damn the neutrais,
Win the war. Our task II TO win.
II we win we viii have the nesi-
trails with us: III we iose VIC ioaer
"Falkenhayn. when You arc
ressssi In foreign affairs IN ask
you TO speak" Interrupted the
kaiser. Proceed. DIR. Heifrertch"
Gentleman that he liz. Won F'alken- |
hayn accepted the imperial rebuke. |
but not long afterward his resigna- !
ton was submitted.
A. result Of these conferences ana
the arguments advanced by Ar1bassa- /
dor Gerard, Secretary won Jagow, on /
May T. handed the ambassador the
herman note In reply to President
Wilson'S Sussex ultirnatuna. In this /
J communication C Germany aid s,.-.-s ."..,{
Fully conscious of Its strength.
fhe German government has
twice In the course of the Last few
months expressed itself before the
world as prepared to conclude Il
peace safeguarding the vital in
tere~ts Of Germany. In doing so,
II gave expression to the fact that
II was not Its fault If peace was
further withheld from the peoples
Of Europe.
With correspondingiy greater /
claim of Justification the German gov !
ernmen, may proclaim Its unwilling
neEs before mankind and history to !
undertake the responsibility, after I
twenty-one months OF war, to allow I
the controversy that has arisen over
the submarine question to take a turn
which might seriously affect the main /
tenance OF peace between these two
nations.
The German government guided by +
: this ~tdAa, notifies the government e.s !
the United States that instructions
have been issued to German naval /
commanders that the precepa OF the
general international fundamental
PRINCIPLES he observed as regards
stopping, searching and destruction OF
merchant vessels within the war zone
and that such vessels shall not be sunk (
without warning and without saving .
human life unless the ship attempts
tn escape or offers resistance.
At the beginning OF the war ii was
a group OF military leaders. consisting
of General Won Moltke. General Won
Falkenhayn. General Won Mackensen,
General Won Herringen. Grand Adj
miral Won Tirpitz and few of the
Prussian military clique, which pre-
vailed upon the kaiser to go TO war
after the assassination of the heir to
the Austrian throne and hts wife
The allies claimed in their pubiica~t
lions, in the press and In parliameuts
that they were fighting To destroy and /
overthrow the military party in Ger
many. which could make war without ,
public consent Millions of allied sol l.
diers were modified and fighting In
almost a complete ring surrounding
Germany. Austria Hungary; BULGARIA
and Turkey They had been fighting
since August, 1914 for twenty one
months, and still their fighting had
not shattered or weakened the hold
which the military party had upon
I've people and the Kaiser. Won Tfr-
nit2 AND Won Falkenhayn who. short
Iv after the war began, became the
ringleaders Of Germany's organized
might. had fallen. not before the
armed foes on the battlcficld. but be-
fore an unarmed nation with presi-
den. who's" only weapon was public
s,pinion. First, Won Tirpitz fell he
cause he was ready To defy the United
States. Then came the downfall of +
tApn FIJI keffrayn. because he WAS pre-
pared to damn the United States and
all neutrais. Surely nation and
government after thirteen months OF
patience and hope had a right to be
-siieye that after all public opinion was
weapon which was sometimes more
effective than any other. Mr., Wilson
and the state department were jn~ti
ned in feeling that their policy to- I,
ward Germany was after all success Il
mi. not alone because 1t had solved
the vexing submarine issue but be-
cause It had aided the forces of de- /;
mocracy In Germany. Because. with
The downfall of Won Faikenhayn and l,
Npa~s Au1x