Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-03

point of view of Berlin, distinctly old-sehool
Ever since the retirement of Prince Bis.
marck there had been growing conviction
at Berlin that Germany had interests not
only in the Balkans, but also in Asia, and that
, these interests were to be realized by putting
the whole force of the German empire be-
hind the wedge that Austria was driving into
the Balkans and by acquiring for Germany
a dominant influence in Constantinople and
thus throughout the Turkish empire. That
this would mean war with Russia was fully
understood, but such war was not feared.
The "Slav peril" so far as Germany was
concerned was bugbear that might advan-
tageously be employed in domestic politics;
but it was not taken seriously by the German
general staff or by the German foreign Office.
In his belief that Germany should regard
its position in Europe and in the world as
substantially satisfactory, Lichnowsky was
again, from the point of view of Berlin, hope
lessly oldschool. He was not in touch with
the Pan-German movement. He did not un-
derstand that Germany must obtain an abso-
lutely dominant position in Europe, in order
later to oust Great Britain from its leading
position in the world.
Given this complete antithesis between
Lichnowsky's antiquated views and the new
course" which the German imperial authori-
ties had followed since 1890, the prince
might we'll wonder why in 1912, he was ex-
humed from his Silesian estates and sent to
London. Quite enthusiastically he seeks
the explanation in his personal relations with
the emperor, the chancellor, and the foreign
secretary; and quite frankly he tells US that
he cannot find it there An explanation,
however, does not seem difficult Pending
the outbreak OF the long planned war for
German hegemony on the continent, it was
desirable that British suspicious of Ger
many's intentions should be quieted. When
the war should come, it would be highly de-
sirable. that Great Britain should not inter-
vene. at least not at the outset. British in
terventlon, it was thought, would come more
rapidly if Great Britain were already in a
state of acute suspicion; less rapidly, and
probably too late to be OF value to France
or to Russia, if Great Britain were taken by
surprise. For this reason it was obviously
polite that Germany should BE- represented
in London by an ambassador who was not
aware of Germanys real purposes, who was
peacefully minded and friendly to Great |
Britain, and whose efforts to concentrate
British attention on colonial negotiations and |
a rapproachement between the triple alliance |
and the entente powers might be successful |
precisely because they were sincere 1t was |
to secure these advantages that the prince |
was, as nc complains, kept uninformed OF the |
most important matters. In the meantime, as
has been ntimated both in France and in Eng
land by persons familiar with German Dip
lomacy and its methods, the Berlin govern.
ment had in Great Britain agents who were
in sympathy with its real designs and who
were kept fully informed of all relevant facts
and events. These agents controlled the spy
system, and discharged all the obscure and |
devious duties which could not be imposed |
upon diplomat Of Lichnowsky's rank, ira
ditions, and character. 1t has been sug-
gested that the representative of Germany's
real policy was Herr Won Kuhlmann, then
chief counsellor of the London embassy, now
(l9lS) imperial foreign secretary. If this
were the case, Won Kuhlmann was clever
enough to play his part without exciting any
nowsky speaks of him always with the high
est appreciation
(To Be Continued Tomorrow.)