The Washington herald., 1917-08-26
German Ideals Decline
Under Pressure of War

| German goods, no German influence &"
The Imperial Maritime League, with
its motto, Germany Under ALL" is
interested In throttling German ship
ping. Similar organizations exist in
France.
The Prussian militarists have held
that trade could be secured by win
ming battles and conquering terrific
ries. German business men accepted
this belief for time, but they have
been disillusioned.
Even those men in London who.
through secret channels, keep in touch
with events and opinion in Germany
are unable to guess what the next
move of the great Moderate party
will be. The Ballins and Rathenaus
are the brains of Germany. They are
helpless at the moment. and they se9
only too clearly that the one saliva
tion of their country lies in abandon
ing her battle against the whole world.
One prediction freely made here is
that the course of events in Germany
from now on will follow that taken by
the Duma in Russia in 1916. 1t is
thought that a bloc Will be formed
/ in the Reichstag to work for peace on
any obtainable terms that will leave
Germany her markets, even II part or
all of Alsace-Lorraine must be sur
rendered, and all German conquests
given up. This bloc already exists
in an unorganized state. and is formed
OF the Socialist parties and the Cath
olic centre group, that voted the peace
resolution rendered harmless by am
biguous phrasing. after. the speech Of
DR.. Michaelis upon taking office.
L II L. he, al
Look for German Revolt.
If it can be held together, the bloc
ary National Liberals and the Junker
right. The situation in Russia year
ago will then be paralleled. Germany
will be governed by force against the
will of the Reichstag, as Russia was
ruled by the bureaucrats against the
almost unanimous Duma.
The next step is revolution. The
Prussian ruling caste appears ready to
run the risk. rather than make con-
cessions. The time for concessions
seems to have passed with the fall of
Bethmann.
Conditions in Germany on the eve
of the fourth year of war were painted
in dark cOlors by a diplomatist OF
neutral European state who left the
Fatherland this week after a trip
which took him to Berlin and through
the great industrial district Of West
phslia.
Il know of two brothers at Iser-
loh,' he said. who actually married
the two ugly daughters OF local
baker in the hope that they could
thus get larger bread rations. One of
them told me frankly that he pre-
ferred marriage to starvation. Now
he gets all the bread he needs from
his father-in-law
THE bread. however. is terrible.
The food question is always the chief
preoccupation of everybody, and peO-
pie hardly ever speak of anything else.
Under the card system in Western
Germany a fortnights ration might
suffice a man with a delicate appetite
for two DAYS. People either suffer
hunger or try TO get food of some
kind by stealing or swindling."
Whatever the opinion OF higher
circles in Germany towards the inter-
vention of the United States, the dip
Iomatist said that he found the mass
Of the people do not yet take Amer
lea seriously. Americas intervCn-
ton is generally underrated and
quickly dismissed in conversation" he
said. "as unpleasant topics always are
in Germany now. They can do moth
ing. they have no ships. This is the
official. commonplace dismissal of
America at war"