New-York tribune., 1918-04-23
The Lichnowsky Revelations

Much comment has been aroused ap-
parently in Germany and elsewhere by
the publication of a suppressed memo
randum written year and half ago by
Prince Lichnowsky, the German Ambas-
sador at the court of st. James's when
the war opened. We have read the docu-
ment very carefully and of any very
startling revelations" there are none.
Every one knows that there was war
party in Germany very definitely bent on
making trouble if it could. The Crown
Prince was one of it's shining lights.
This war party did not believe that
England would intervene, and the nat
ural thing was to have in London an am
bassador who would maintain with the
English government the friendliest re.
Iations.
Prince Lichnowsky appears to have
been admirably fitted for the post. He
was apparently sincerely opposed to the
war, and equally so to backing the plans
Of Austria for the punishment of Serbia.
He liked the English and appeared to have
been a sincere admirer of Sir Edward
Grey, as he was then known. His por-
trait of Sir Edward is that of an appre-
ciative friend, and, more than that, it is
fine bit of character drawing.
Prince Lichnowsky pictures this direct,
plain spoken, unassuning MAD, living
very modestly in London, giving few
dinners, going to the country with punct-
ual regularity, former athlete, an Eng
lish type all over, suave but firm and
transparently honest.
The Germans could not understand
such man. They could not believe that
he meant simply what he said and moth
ing more, and that when he gave out his
famous warning just before the outbreak
of hostilities he knew he voiced the feel
ing of England and that this was exactly
what England would do.
Prince Lichnowsky could and did un.
derstand the English Foreign Secretary,
man whom he could trust. "And this"
he says, at the end of the portrait he
draws, "is the man whom they call in
Germany The Liar Grey"
What is equally clear is that just in
proportion as the German Ambassador
was able to establish close relations with
the English Foreign Office he was out of
touch with Berlin and the plans of the
war party. He bitterly complains in
this memorandum that things are going
on behind his back that he does not
know about and that he is not allowed to
snow. 1t is very natural that such a
man, when the war came, should de-
nounce as "plotters" the party which
precipitated the war, and his feeling was
naturally not lessened when he went
home practically to be stripped of his
diplomatic rank and his reputation. and
very nearly to be tried for treason.
Such was the violence of the German
anger that it turned with kind of blind
fury against the man who had told the
absolute truth about what England
would do and how England felt It
would not be surprising, especially in
case the great Western drive ends in
failure, If the prince should still be put
On trial and convicted, not for his "reve
iatlons," but for the fatuous German STU
pldity in electing not to believe what
Prince Lichnowsky saw so clearly. Such
proceeding is hinted at in Yesterdays
dispatche-.
1t Will be extremely interesting as an
acid test of the present state of German
psychology if such trial actually takes
place. Driven to the wall, Lichnowsky
would undoubtedly fight, and in fighting
might do much to make clear to the
German people how insane was the belief
That England desired the war or even
sd any serious thought that war was
coming.
The test would be to see what effect
this plain proof would have on the atti-
fude OF the German people toward con-
tinuance of the struggle. At the mo-
nent it is clear that the whole nation,
the Socialists included, are drunk with
the thoughts of great victories, annexa-
tons and huge indemnities.
Suppose now that the drive in the
West fails, az day by day it looks more
and more az il it would, and the German
people have to sit down and count their
appalling Losses for this last frantic at
tempt to divide the English and French
armies.
Many have long had the feeling, which
syas indeed expressed by Won Hindenburg
or Ludendorff, that there would be no
decisive victory In the war and that it
would be DECIDED more by mental cx-
haustioD thaS anything else. Not, it
Seesns probable, until the German people
~ Aorcpgblx weary oz the war gang.