Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-02
Change Likely to Be Slow,
but Discomfort Is Strong
and Growing
MILITARY FAILURE FELT
Pan.C Germans Feel Turn Keen.
ly and Admit People Are
Sick of War
By GEORGE RENwICK
Special Gable to Epenins Public Ledger
Copnrinhk InIR L.. A,a.u ya.1. rL--

''PD''O"P fSi6, ~ NetO. YORK Times Co.
Amsterdam, Sept. Q
All portents point to coming political
changes In Germany. If no, to a serious
political crisis. Though the military mis-
fortune is not without its profound eff
rect on Wilhelmstrasse. the root of the
evil lies in the political ground.
The process OF change, most likely
SLOW. may rogress by Ats and starts.
but in Germany it appears to be agreed
that the motive powers Of popular dis
content and political confusion are
strong and growing. Even If one sets
aside the numerous reports reaching the
Dutch frontier of military mutinies and
popular unrest, there is sufficient evil
dence Of acute disturbance in the public
mind and political circles. The U-hoat
failure. the turn OF the tide in the west
and the peril OF an economic war are
all very keenly felt.
For instance. in the Pan-Gernan
weekly. Das Grossere Deutschland, Herr
Racmeister. n National Liberal advocate
OF armament. plainly voices the alarm
felt AT the prospect OF an economic
war and declares that the inability Of
the Government to produce anything like
a counter-policy and its complete failure
to face those economic questions which
closely concern the people have reused
widespread hate among all classes"
He as good as admits that the people
are heartily sick Of the war. He talks
OF 'pessimism and half-heartedness"
among the masses. He says that they
no longer believe the Pan-German creed,
with its chief article of faith that the
Entente Wiabaa IN wins Onf the {yarma n
people. who are becoming more convinced
that this Is merely war in the interest Of
the ruling classes.
War Minister Won Stein, too. in his his
torical outburst the other day, clearly
showed that a jumpy. scared feeling pre-
walls throughout Germany.
AS for the Government. 1t is safe to
say that Count Won Hertling is now re-
garded as a failure. The Pan-Germans
are Intensely disappointed at the weak
way In which he has championed their
cause. and his statement that Germany
will not retain Belgium is taken as Anal
proof that this Bavarian Is not a f1ttins
representative of Prussianism.
His qualification OF his Belgium state
ment that Germany would use Belgium
as a pawn. has turned the progressives
against him l think l am right in
saying that II is clearly recognized in
the highest political circles that the
qualification Is ridiculous. M that the
two points are mutually destructive.
Hertlins snubs R%elchstag
Hertling, of course. came into Office
virtually as the nominee of the Reichs-
tag majority parties, but whenever i'm
portant matters have had to be deal
with he forgets that body and rushes
of to headquarters, where he has stayed
oftener and longer than any of his i'm
mediate predecessors, This snubbing Of
the Reichstag is keenly felt by the min
listers who went from the Reichstag to
the Government.
It is recognized. in short, that Hert-
ling is a man-he was seventy-hve years
old Saturday-with. no great grasp of
things and no ability to lead in foreign
affairs. There is a Likelihood that he
will take an early opportunity to make
room for some one else, probably Doctor
Solf.
As for Herr Won Hintze. ne has made
a bad beginning as foreign minister. He
has dom himself little good by his mes
sages about Ireland. India and Egypt to
absurd societies headed by extreme jim
goes. who have the audacity to proclaim
that their organizations stand for the
right Of characterization. His first
attempt to cross swords with Mr.. Lloyd
George is regarded generally as a sorry
failure, but he Is a shrewd individual.
unlikely to commit himself too far and
quite ready to veer round to the most
successful side.
1t Ia clear that there are powerful
antiPan-German factors at work. how
ever supreme the Pan-Germans may be
in the small circuits where they really
rule today. Doctor Dernburg a few days
ago referred to Statesmen who work
behind tho front in order to give new
strength to the incontestable utterance
of Herr Won Kuehlmann that weapons
alone will not bring the war to an nd"
One sees evidence of the work of those
factors In such things as the publica-
ton in Germany Of the Lichnowsky
| memorandum.
There is a widespread feeling that