Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-07
KA|SER'S WAR PLOT
KEPT FROM PEOPLE
Dual System Of Government
Held Diplomatic Branch in
Ignorance of Plans.
HOW THE SCHEME FAILED

of peace in ignorance Oh tiese iteAS'Ai
nations, are given today in an inter
view by Arthur NJ. Pollen. England
distinguished naval critic
Mr.. Pollen pictures the system OF
government built up by Emperor WIZ
liam through which it is imposslpie
for the right hand to know what the
left hand is doing. Mr.. Pollen SHOWS
that it was possible that the military
branch of the Prussian government ana
through it the kaiser had hand IN
the drafting and presentation OF the
ultjmatum to Serbia which brouSht on
the European war, while the diplomatic
branch could honestly say IL hesG
saw or considered the ultimatum until
within a few hours of its presentation L.
Based on Recent Publications.
Mr. Pollen's comment is based on re-
cent publications in the Phllaoeiphia
Public Ledger by former Ambassador
Gerard and William C. Bullitt. teiiins
of the comment of Austrian and Ger
man diplomatists on Germanys fore
knowledge of the Austrian uitimaeuni
to Serbia.
MIR. Bullitt's report of the converse
tions with Count TisZa and Won Jaeow
are conclusive but the limits OF What
those two statesmen have SAID 10 hiie al
worth noting" Mr.. Pollen said Couht
Tisza did not say in SO many "osas ,n;at nc
the ultimatum of Serbia was the JOINT
effort of the Austrian and German gov
ernments, he left the interlocutor 10 oia"
his own conclusions. II a person mas q
very close and strong friend, ana II ne rs
about to take a step of the most terrioie
gravity. does he or does he not discuss
the whole matter with his friend. ana
finally tell his friend what he has decided
to do? Thereupon Count Tisza smlieo,
lifted his shoulders and turned out ms
na1ms in the gesture which signifies, IT
goes without saying
..Von Jagow's answer was more speclnc-
did not have a hand IN prepaliis a,, ean
note. Down in Budapest tney hesp EEL
snreading the story that we prepared the
note at such a rate that denials are nope
less. | saw the note for the first tune !
3 o'clock the night before it was presented
at 10 o'clock the next morning ihal
was too late to do anything aoou' H.
Was a Joint Policy.
Count Tisza admits in so many words
that the policy represented by the note
was a Joint policy. Won Jagow denies that
he saw the note until fourteen hours pc
fore IL was presented. when IT was 700
late to interfere Count Tisxa admits tnat
the whole action was preconcerted py tne
two powers, and if it was. IT Is Simply IA
credible that the wording OF the note.
which is the essence of the action. must
have been preconcerted also. Yet Won
Ia cow declares that the German foreign
office did not see the note untli 1our
hours before it was presented ana I'M
plies that he did not know IT'S coh.snts; aJ
that the note came under his observation
TOO late for interference. Won Jaeow anu
Count Tisza in other words. contraolct
each other fatty, yet both Statements
planation of their being true is as ioi-
lows: .,arybodv
THE German empire, as every oouy
knows. is an absolute monarchy very
moderately tempered by strictly Inn,
tied mower on the part of an eiected
hut unrepresentative assembly. the reicns-
tag. to refuse supplies the value OF
this check can be gauged py the laGl
This government is carried on through
an imperial cabinet, the civilian chief
of which is the chancellor III Is pff-
marily his affair to formulate Ger
great functions of civil government fall
solely to him. He regulates the policy
of the civil administration at nome ana
is the official mouthpiece of the Ger
man empire in announcing the general
trend of the German government
abroad. Under him, as his executive
oficer in the latter division of his work.
is the foreign minister, in 1914 Won
Jagow.
of Germany then, are settled, as to
their general nature, by the emperor
speaking through the chancellor. and,
the general policy once having been
settled. by the foreign minister carry
ing il into effect through the usual
diplomatic means of conferences with
amba dors, notes. dispatches. etc
Policy Only of Emperor.
The most important point to grasp
in this connection is that the policy SO
enunciated and so carried out is the
policy not of the nation. not of the
atoms representatives or a majority
of them, but of the absolute monarch
the emperor himself Now, absolutism
is based in Germany. as everywhere
else upon the command of the whole
organized military forces of the realm
So, and not otherwise, can his govern
ment remain personal and autocratic.
and, as we all know. the military force
of Germany has no other meaning than
In time of peace only small fraction
of the entire population is constantly
aware of this fact. OF the young men
liable by age and physical fitness for
military service not two-thirds were
annually taken as drafts into the army,
and the other reminders of the militar-
istic purposes of the German govern
ment were not normally very oppres-
things as the registration of every
horse and cart suitable for military
work, and all buildings. factories. etc,
that might be necessary as hospitals
or for munition manufacture, and so
on. Such things and the real organiza-
ton of war did not intrude themselves
upon the public at all. To a surprising
extent, therefore. even an observant
German subject would be unconscious
of the far-reaching character of the
military determination of his country
But it was. in fact, so far-reachine
and so complete as to demand not only
the whole organization of the general
staff for purely military functions, but
a subsidiary ministry, both for foreign
affairs and for home policy, entirely
Independent of that of the chancellor.
the foreign secretary and the ministers
for finance, home affairs. etc
Thus, therefore, in time of peace
every public act of the German govern
ment, whether diplomatic or domestic
was carried out by the chancellor or by
the ministers serving under him, who
thus appeared to be the emperor's sole
advisors and representatives. never
theless. all these acts before adopted
and authorized by the kaiser, had TO
pass the criticism of what NAV he
called the secret ministry that as
of its adding to or detract-
military strength.
Justice in the German administers.
tion was dictated not by the civilian n
statesmen who were nominaffy the
ministers. but by the secret !
ca marilla that represented his othar