Germany, The Next Republic?Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
History
Germany, The Next Republic?
Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Germany
On page 17 Rear Admiral Hollweg says:
"We are conducting to-day a war against enemy merchant vessels
different from the methods of former wars only in part by ordinary
warships. The chief method is by submarines based upon the
fundamentals of international law as dictated by German prize court
regulations. The German prize regulations were at the beginning of the
war based upon the fundamental principles of the London Declaration and
respected the modern endeavours of all civilised states to decrease the
terrors of war. These regulations of sea laws were written to decrease
the effects of the unavoidable consequences of sea warfare upon
non-combatants and neutrals. As far as there have been changes in the
regulations of the London Declaration during the war, especially as far
as changes in the contraband list have been extended, we Germans have
religiously followed the principle set by the English of, 'an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'"
On page 19 he states:
"Americans would under no circumstances, not even to-day, if they were
faced by a superior sea power in war, refuse to follow this method of
warfare by the ruthless use of pirate ships. May our submarine
campaign be an example for them! The clever cruiser journey of U-53
off the Atlantic Coast gave them clearly to understand what this method
was. Legally they cannot complain of this warfare. The other neutrals
cannot complain either against such sea warfare because they have ever
since the Middle Ages recognised the English method of sea warfare."
[Illustration: The New Weather Cape]
In the chapter entitled "The Opponent," on page 27 the author says:
"Before there is a discussion of our legal right to the submarine
warfare a brief review of the general policies of our opponents during
the war will be given. This account shall serve the purpose of
fortifying the living feeling within us of our natural right and of our
duty to use all weapons ruthlessly.
"If we did not know before the publication of the Entente Note [The
Allies' peace reply to Germany] what we were up against, now we know.
The mask fell. Now we have confirmation of the intentions to rob and
conquer us which, caused the individual entente nations to league
together and conduct the war. The neutrals will now see the situation
more clearly. For us it is war, literally to be or not to be a German
nation. Never did such an appeal [The Entente Note] find such a
fruitful echo in German hearts. . . ."
* * * * *
"I begin with England, our worst enemy."
On page 31 Admiral Hollweg speaks of the fact that at the beginning of
the war many Germans, especially those in banking and business circles,
felt that Germany was so indispensable to England in peace time that
England would not conduct a war to "knock out" Germany. But Hollweg
says the situation has now changed.
On pages 122 to 126 he justifies the ruthless submarine warfare in the
following way:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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