The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-03
Won TIRPITz story
Of GERMAN DEFEAT
tContinued From Previous Issue.)

Its course, the kalReF frequently was
the victim Of nervous breakdoWns,
which gave hts physicians much ankle
~. Perhaps there was also some con-
nection between his highly nervous
state and the fact that as he increased
IN years he was Inclined more and
more TO Yield 10 the weaker natures In
the circle Of his intimate advisers.
in all my conversations with him az
this time, when important decisions
were being considered, ] had to speak
10 the kaiser tete-a-tete because II there
had been third person present, the
kaiser's own opinion would have bean
Influenced easily by his strong impulse
decision he made. In fact. this ten
dency toward the theatrical In the
gTavest matters Of state was fraught
with far-reaching consequences in the
affairs Of Germany. As time went on,
ana our fortunes rose 10 wetpolitik, the
entire power OF the German cabinets
was rooted in this fact.
| This was rendered possible for a
remarkable reason, not existent, 80 far
as | have been able TO learn, in any
other ehancellory in the civilized world
| whenever any attempt was made dur
ing the kaiser's reign on the part OF
men in responsible positions to check
the sncroachmenLs Of his cabinets, they
came to an abrupt end; for, as the
chiefs Of the cabinets skilfuliy adapted
1 hAANAAoNfNNo W His lHdJ16NgB lHO khlheI
looked upon these dignitariss merely
AS his clerks, whose main duty toward
the fatherland was TO put his will into
the form Of a command.
The kaiser several times stressed this
fact In conversations with me, And
at such times ] often was forced to
think Of the tragedy Of 1905, and the
collapse Of the Holy Roman empire AT
such times l wondered whether another
debacls was Imminent Alas! The sad
events Of recent months In Germany
provide the answer. Especially In time
OF war, the extremely slight balance
OF power Of judgment that emanated
from the cabinet once more became
source of evil to the nation,
Notes Caused Trouble.
While, under the adminlstra tons of
Prince Won Hohenlohe, up TO 1900, and
under Prince Won Buelow, In the next
nine years, / found q natural and con-
stitutional support IN my attitude
against the entertainments OF the cabl-
nets, the be- exact opposite was the case
veg, who succeeded Buelow
II Is now to be feared that many
persons who did not fulfill, during the
period Of the previous government, their
duty OF combating the sinister influ-
enoes q the German cabinet, win now
apply themselves with so much zeal
to damning the whole German govern
ment systemi
And II Is to be assumed that the
famous marginal notes of tho kaiser will
play an important part here. These
notes he inteFlined on myfiads Of Of
fetal reports and other documents OF
the highest state importance, in his
own handwriting, as the kaiser readily
adopted the marginal style OF revision
and review which his predecessors had
used. To ascertain the historical value
~ an9aE - Ia ARa - n. A..A IL. H..
expressions of moment, II Ia necessary
for one 70 have known the kaiser very
well, and TO realise hts changing ner-
vous moods and the part they wrought
in his official opinions.
One Of the peeuliaFities Of the kaiser
was that he would take II for granted
that his responsible advisers would ex-
anime these notes and that they would
be able to distinguish what was OF
permanent importance from what was
the outcome Of his moods. In general,
the kaiser listened 70 objections when
natsly the eabineteers OF Germany
helped to give the kAissr's marginal
notes an exaggerated appearance OF
importance,
Every one Of these notes, even those
which we're interpreted by the govern
ment officials solely as suggestions for
their consideration, rather than COM
mands Of the kaiser, were fixed by
chemical means In the cabinet offices
for the archives, with the aid of In
delible ink, much In tho same way as
pencil sketches by an artist are per-
petuated BY this means there was
preserved for future writer's of history
who are no longer eye-witnesses of the
conditions they will have to describe,
an amount Of material which, II turned
70 wrong account seems calculated TO
give very distorted picture of the
| kAiaAeiG nArannAlitM N nf hn
kind OF government under him.
editors Note; The misgivings OF
Won Tlrpltz In this regard have already
been borne out, for Berlin dispatches
state that Herr kautsky and ether Of
arc sUmsnE the h GTSh Yes for the
Used to make public disclosures Of the
kaiser's regime which win startle thu
German people1
Under the kaiser the chief Of his cabi-
net attended all official conferences
wherein the various ministers who were
ports, II was natural that after the
ministers had departed the monarch
should discuss matters with the chan-
cellor In private. The chanceliors only
needed. therefore, to wait for the right
moment and adapt themselves to the
Imagination and temperament Of the
sovereign, In order 70 carry out their
own views.
editors Note: While Won Tirpitz
studiously avoids mentioning names In
this connection, there Ia no doubt he
refers TO Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg individuality
There are very few persons who
would be able 10 confine themselves to
their own proper province In such a sit
uation. Count Caprtvi, Bismarck's sue
ceesor, once told me that he knew OF
only one cabinet chief who proceeded
strictly according to this principle, and
that was Gen, Aibedyll To be sure
our old emperor tWilliam y, had a
strong liking for transaeting the af-
fairs Of state through the various de-
partments, The interference OF the
chiefs of the cabinets In matters that
were outside their province led to pro-
posala which were not 80 carefully con-
sidered and thought out as those ema.
mating from the responsible depart
ments, which always have to bear the
brunt In the event OF failure, and there
fore caused all matters to be worked
out by their apparatus Of statecraft
before they were brought before the
| kaiser,
THAT some chiefs OF the cabinet re-
manned in office too long was due I'M
douhtedly TO the kaiser's fear Of chang
ing his Immediate circle, But there was
a drawback TO this also, This was es-
pecially true rs regards the army and
navy bureau chiefs. For It estranged
a man from active service conditions, as
he got more and more into the habits
1 Of court life.
In the navy, at least, a feeling pre-
dominated that many mistakes OF the
cabinet in what was strictly itA own
| provinee~-the selection Of personnel
| Imp 10 tina fnpt that Ahp,tNaI