The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-03

spirit of revolution had spread. The
 idea was to infOrce peace by a naval
 strike. These conditions were not
 duly appreciated; the first warning
 was unheeded.
 MICHAELIS WAS NOT STRONG
 The attitude of the Government
 was not strong; it revealed the un-
 certainty of one that is concious Of
 it's own weakness. pr. Michaelis did
 certainly perceive the dangerous in-
 fluence which the Independent Social
 ists exercised on the conduct of the
 war; but he did not prevent their
 revolutionary activity. Their press whose evil influence could be proved
 was allowed to go on wiring
 The Reichstag displayed no un- derstanding of its duties in connec- ton with the war. Well-knowr members protected those representa- tives whose close connection with af. fairs in the Navy was proved. whc
 were fighting for revolution and de people were not sufficiently informed of the serious nature of these events Tn the Navy also they were dealt with in a way that was bound to dc immense harm; in the army, too. they were discussed, and the settlement of the matter made a deep impress sion.
 After n temporary rise, the war like spirit of .Germnny had fallen since July to disquitingly low level. The spirit which was to dis. arm the German people in the sum-
 mer of Ie1S and in 1919. became np-
 parent.
 Gu rollers to undertake the direc- tion of the press and Of interna' propaganda were not met in a man ner at all compatible with the seri- ousness of the revolutionary turmoil ir
 Russia and the Naval mutiny. WANTED TO CRUSH RADICALS After discussion with the War Min. ! istry, G.H.Q. considered 1t imperativ, to create an organization for dealing
 with the insHgators of revolution Proposals to this effect went to Der lin, where they were discussed witt the Imperial Authorities. Again noth, ing could be achieved.
 The representative of CLIO now suggested that this office should bt established as part of the genera staff in Berlin. Everyone agreed tc this. Its duty was limited. to estab. fishing facts; but it's field very soor became almost entirely political |
 was significant that in spite of this the Government refused to take over the new department, which I consid- cred to be the right procedure anC had already recommended. G. II. o l had thus no alternative but to as sume another function that was nc part of tis duty.
 The anomalies of our way of car rying on wartime government be. came more and more apparent ant were bound. to cause increasing irri- | tation.
 | Oour economic position had also~ be- became scarcer.
 MANY PEOPLE WERE HUNGRY We had managed to struggle through the food troubles, but it had been very difficult. In the winter of 1916-17 there had been no means of carting potatoes. We had to fall back on kohlrahi. At that time many people were hungry. In spring and summer supplies improved: but they had only sufficed with the aid of Ru- 1 manian wheat and maize. By early threshing on a considerable scale we might tide over period between the sold harvest and the new. But that meant anticipating our credit. Forage had become very scarce; graz ing started early and helped a good deal. The oat harvest had been bad, and the hay crop scanty. Evidently the for age problem was going to become worse
 The coal supply seemed more certain than in the winter of 1916-17; that of
 house coal was tolerable.
 The stocks of oil were uncommonly
 low 1t was urgently necessary to in crease the supply from Rumania. IT the country they would again have dark winter nights.
 At the time of Dr. Michaelis' resig- nation Cat the end of October, 1slD, the
 prospects for the future were exceeding ly serious. I hoped that the collapse o1 Russia, about which there could nc longer be any doubt would at last, re
 move the danger That, in conjunctio, with our brilliant successes in Italy
 and our heroism on the Western Front was surely enough to rouse us and tc