Germany, The Next Republic?Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
History
Germany, The Next Republic?
Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Germany
In the Reichstag there has been only one real democratic party. That
is the Socialist. The National Liberal Party, which has posed as a
reform organisation, is in reality nothing more than the party
controlled by the ammunition and war industries. When these interests
heard that submarine warfare was to be so restricted as to be
practically negligible, they began to sow seeds of discontent among the
ammunition makers. These interests began to plan for the time when the
submarine warfare would again be discussed. Their first scheme was to
try to overthrow the Chancellor. If they were not successful then they
intended to take advantage of the democratic movement which was
spreading in Germany to compel the Government to consent to the
creation of a Reichstag Committee on Foreign Affairs to consult with
the Foreign Office when all questions of international policy,
including submarine warfare, was up for discussion. Their first policy
was tried early in July. Seizing that clause in the German note which
said that Germany would hold herself free to change her promises in the
_Sussex_ case if the United States was not successful against England,
the Navy began to threaten the United States with renewed submarine
warfare unless President Wilson acted against Great Britain.
Reporting some of these events on June 12th, the _Evening Ledger_ of
Philadelphia printed the following despatch which I sent:
"BERLIN, July 12.--The overthrow of Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg,
champion of a conciliatory policy toward the United States, and the
unloosing of German submarines within three months, was predicted by
von Tirpitz supporters here to-day unless President Wilson acts against
the British blockade.
"Members of the Conservative party and those favouring annexation of
territory conquered by Germany joined in the forecast. They said the
opinion of America will be disregarded.
"A private source, close to the Foreign Office, made this statement
regarding the attempt to unseat Bethmann-Hollweg at a time when the war
is approaching a crisis:
"'Unless America does something against England within the next three
months there will be a bitter fight against the Chancellor. One cannot
tell whether he will be able to hold his own against such opposition.
The future of German-American relations depends upon America.'
"Despite this political drive against the man who stood out against a
break with the United States in the _Lusitania_ crisis, Americans here
believe Bethmann-Hollweg will again emerge triumphant. They feel
certain that if the Chancellor appealed to the public for a decision he
would be supported.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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