THE FALLEN CHANCELLOR.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16043, 27 October 1917, Page 9

THE FALLEN CHANCELLOR.

DR. MICHAELIS ON* ENGLAND.

GERMAN MILITARISTS' ANXIETY.

[The following article by our Swiss correspondent, Mrs Julian Grande, comes to hand very opportunely immediately after the announcement of tho resignation of Dr. Michao'ia, the German Chanccilor.]

BERNE, August 25. Last October Dr. Michaelis, the new Gorman Chancellor, as president of the German Christian Students' Union, told tho students; in an article which he wrote for their, journal), "Die Furche" ("The Furrow") that "those who earnestly desire to be Christians cannot fail to see the warning finger of God. They know that God has sent this terrible war as a visitation for our sins. Those who look for these sins only in others, in classes or parties other than their own, are shutting themselves out from the benevolent intentions of God towards our people." When reading these pious phrases, I wondered'whether Dr. Michaelis included among his own sins a passage in an address which lie delivered in 1897 at tho little Prussian town of Arnswalde, on "Germany'g Prospects in the Far East." Now, this was after the occupation of Kiautschau by Germany, and it must bo remembered that from 1885 to 1889 Dr. Micljaelis was lecturer at the Gorman Law School at Tokio. After referring to the political and commercial greed df Japan, whoso hospitality he had enjoyed fpr four years, Dr. Michaelis proceeded: — "Any German travelling about the world is simply never free from a tremendous feeling of envy of England. It is a great advance that we can now travel by German diners, but wherever we cast anchor—whether at Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Shanghai, whom do we find installed everywhere? Tho Englishman. As a matter of fact we have in reality only one real opponent and enemy in the world, and that is the Englishman. Nations now no longer go to war except for commercial reasons, and in tho way of our commercial development stands the Englishman. Wo are overflowing in Germany, arid we must have more room. In whatever direction we try to turn, there at tho house door stailds tho Englishman, with legs wide outstretched, arid unashamed, determined to block our way. At Kiautschau there was a door still open, arid wo may be glad that wo have got hold of the I handle." The German Chancellor of the Exchequer, who knows his Bible, and, no doubt, sincerely believes in the inspired Word of God, now possibly begins to realise that whatsoever a. man sowoth. that shall he also reap. Nevertheless, lie is how endeavouring to prevent the military party in Germany from reaping what they have sown. The aiixioty of the German Government about the Stockholm Conference, their extreme desire that it should take place, arid their readiness to send delegates, and indeed finance the entire undertaking! are, I am assured by a German writer who has just contrived to reach Sivitz-

erland, all Connected with another

anxiety: that of saving tho military party. In Germany it is argued that if only & patfhed-Up peace can be brought about now, then tho military party would be able to say to the Ger-

iiittii people: "Yoti see, wo were right to have created o vast arfny, for it is this army which has saved the Father-

land both from invasion arid from ruin." In tho opinion of true democrats ifi Germany, who dare not say piiblicly what they nevertheless say among themselves, tbe conelusion of' peWp now wbiild be a disaster aliko to German, democracy and to the freedom of I'Jiirope. A Well-known member of tho German Reichstag has even gone tho length of admitting publicly in an article in tlie "NeuO Zuercher iSeitung" that, "Whoever in Germany honestly endeavours to bring about a peace based on good understanding and conciliation, and desires to See the Way for peace negotiations opened up as speedily as possible, must reSolvo to reSorfc to the Sole means of dissipating the distrust of tho Entente: that is, Germany mtfst becdine really democratic."

The Gertoafa writer whom I have before mentioned as having contrived io leave Germany assures me in all sin* cerity that tho taen in England or, for that matter, elsewhere, who ara crying out to be allowed to attend the Stockholm Conferenco aid meet theil' "comrades" are blind to everything which they ought to see. In reality they are clamouring to bo allowed to servo the purposes of German Imperialism and to help strengthcii the Goi'rtiaii military party. The German Geiieral Staff knows that its strength is now undermined. The 1919 class is already called up and partly* under training t althougn its fighting value is doubtful. Such has been tne drain OU 1 German labour that German sick funds sliowed in June last the names Of 4,600,651 women workers, of whom 627,651 were employed iti agriculture and forestry. The number of male Workers similarly registered in German sick funds (WhiQh are compulsory in Germany) was only 4,446,033 in' June, and no lfcss a person than Graf von GfaVenitz, head of the Prussian Fats Office, declared the other day in the Brandenburg Diet, that owing to Under-fefeding the labour yield had fallen Off by 30 per cent, since the beginning of the War. Labour power in Germany has indeed been utilised to the utmost since the war, When the scheme of compulsory national service came fully into Operation.

Labour power, liko man power, is also visibly decreasing in value in Germany. in vain does she now forbid the Quotation of food prices in the daily Press: in vain doas she occasionally inspire articles by Swiss residents in Germany, whom she allowed (or is supposed to, allow) to return to their own country,' and who there give rosy pictures in the leading papers of the state of food conditions in Germany. The fact is that the General Staff know that if the Germans are obliged to go through a fourth winter campaign and next spring to meet a formidable army from the United States, then the end of the German military party will resemble that which overtook Napoleon, and some of them may yet be forced to end theif days in St. Helena. The cry of ''Sold outl" has been heard too long, and even the recent Russian ; and Roumanian retreat and the announcement of German victories in Galicia have not .lad the effect for which the General Staff hoped. "Supposing we do advance on Bessarabia," argues the German Michael now, "and even get to Petrograd, then it will simply mean that we are extending our lines by Jnin- , dreds of miles, and finallv we shall have to meet Japanese and Chinese i Moreover, the German General Staff know that the situation of Austria is far worse even than that wer-,

many. The man power of Bulgaria and of Turkey i s declining: Germany can no longer finance her three allies nor supply them with material. On the oilier hand, the German General Staff realise that the Allies' manpower has not yet by any means reached its limit. * France lias not yet called up her 1919 class, and her military age limit is still 45, not co, as in the Central Empires. To quote once more our German v.Titor, the misguided politicians, pacifists, or whatever they may call themselves. who in the Allied countries are supporting the Stockholm Conference, are neither more nor less than traitors to the cause of democracy and freedom.