The Washington herald., 1918-03-10
War Lords Must Maintain
Army Prestige---Fear Revolt
Kaiser Fights On Because Yielding to Allies
Would Mean Overthrow of Rulers in
Both Germany and Austria.

very near-they redouble their efforts
to get peace, and getft quickly, with
out admitting defeat. Their speeches,
their diplomatic manoeuvers, their Of
fensives, their propaganda, are all d.
rected to one end-a peace that will
enable them to say to their. peoples,
you see. we have saved you from
your enemies and won the war;" and
then to feed and pacify them.
Much Is said In Germany and among
Germany's enemies of the onstant and
bitter conflicts between the German
political and military leaders. Dis
agreements, in Gerard's day, between
Tirpitz and Bethmann-Hollweg, have
been explained by the former AnIbas-
sador. In these more hectic times,
the feud Is continued between Kuhi-
mann and HertlIng on the one side,
Ludendorff and Won Capelle on the
other, with the Kaiser, as before, in
the uneasy role OF umpire. Opinion
has been misled by these disagree
ments.
There is no difference between, the
political and military leaders of the
autocracy regarding aims. The
squabble concerns the methods oNbe
employed in attaining the aims upon
which all are agreed. Kuhlmann and
Ludendorff are at one upon the for
mula set down above. that their power
depends upon getting peace quickly.
and upon maintaining the prestige Of
the militarist state. They naturally
fall out over details. The general
stan Is inclined to increase frightful-
ness, to make more great attacks, to
redouble the military r.essure; the
civilian
effects Of more tel .ole losses upon the
people. and inclined to trust in intrigue
and bargaining to effect what Luden-
dorn seeks to accomplish by force.
The conflict between the military and
civilian autocrats came to a head over
the submarine issue. The military
won. and brought in America, on the
promise that they would starve Eng
,, land in six months. The unexpected
activity of the United States and the
failure Of the submarine to accomplish
its task discredited the military party,
increased the power of the political
leaders. and resulted in the concilia-
tory tone adopted at the beginning Of
the negotiations with Russia,
Now, however, the scale has tipped
again. Kuhlmann and Czernin avowed
that IL given a free hand at Brest-
Litovsk. they would trick the ignorant
| and unwashed Bolsheviks. Trotsky has
turned the tables, used the conference
to spread revolutionary propaganda
among the German and Austrian peo-
pies, caused strikes and incipient mu-
TIMES, manoeuvred the negotiations so
as to show to the Central European
workers the predatory aims Of their
masters and the insincerity of the
democratic formulas they mouth.
From the beginning the Ludendorfr
party opposed the political offensive
against Russia: now they are able to
sneer at the discontinue of Kuhlmann
and Czernin. and moreover the spread
OF strikes and revolutionary propa-
ganda has tended to enable tho mill
tary TO assume more and more control
over the direction Of home affairs
! Accordingly the supreme control Of
poIlcy Is at this writing more in the
nands OF the great general staff than
at any time since the days Of the vic
tor1ous rush into France that was
ended by the battle Of the Marne.
AS we said, however. the war aims
OF Ludendorf and kuhlmann are iden-
lcaL The great general stan, have
learned froms official sources, which
have drawn upon the real opinion not
manufactured for the war lords, is
scared. and badly scared. 1t has given
up its aim Of dominating the world,
for the present, shelvcd its ambitious
plans OF 1914 until next time, and
resigned itself to hope of weatherinC
the revolutionary storm by maintain
ing its prestige"
The real peace terms of the Ger
, man autocracy, therefore, can be sum-
med up in the Russian formula of mo
annexatons and indemnities." It is
supreme irony that the German stan
should come to this phrase first used
by pacifists, but 1t Is the truth. The
German leaders. however, will face a
revolution before they will ceds AL.
SAGE, or the Trentino, or even Pales.
tine or Mesopotamia, or their own COL
onies, since the smallest concession
without something received in ex.
change, would be an admission Of de-
feat and, In their own opinion, result
| in their overthrow.
Bargains, by which colonies were ex.
changed. territory taken here and Civ
en- there, the general staff would
eagerly consider. because loss Of pres
tige would not be involved But no
agreement on democratic lines involv
ing consent by Germany, Austria or