THE KAISER'S CLIQUE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12083, 11 August 1917, Page 5

THE KAISER'S CLIQUE.

* JUNKERS AND MILITARY CASTE WILL FIGHT ON. BUSINESS INTERESTS LOOK IN'J TO FUTURE WANT STRIFE ENDED. (By JUDSON C. WELLIVER, in New York " Sun.") LONDON. May to. Any consideration of the possibility of peace within a measurable futuro must begir. now to recognise the differences between the attitudes of Germany and Austria. In both countries there are developments, rapidly becoming more apparent and significant, which demonstrate that public opinion is fast coming to realise tho njecessity for peace, and for' peace not too Joing delayed. But the German and the Austrian* attitudes are decidedly unlike. In Germany onlv recently has there; been discovered evidence of widespread realisation that a tremendous ind'astriai wiui cftWW.wirisl calamity is inevit-

able as a result of tho war, evon if tho war should end in a nominal German victory. The German military caste and the Prussian junkers are still determined to go ahead and fight for victory. They are not convinced that victory is beyond their grasp. They are—and this is tho. most important element in the whole situation at sent—incapablo of understanding that military victory almost cerrainly would involve economic riiin thereafter, only less than that which must follow military defeat. As to the governing class in Germany, tho court clique, the Holienzollern entourage, its condition is one of desperation. It must go on in the hope of victory because it knows that unless it wins it is likely to have Its grip of Germany wrenched loose. BUSINESS WANTS PEACE. So there arc two important factors at work in Germany in the direction of peace. The manufacturers, shipowners, banking and commercial elements •understand what it means to iiavo the world arrayed against Germany. They know that every time a new country joins the long procession of Germany's enemies it means thatanother segment of the world market for Germany's products is being cut

off. They know that Germany cannot live and continue the kind of German} it has been, the kind of Germany tha'.' has earned pro/its for them, unless the world's markets are open to her. Those commercial elements are not profoundly afflicted with its meglomaniac notion that Germany can conquer tho world and compel it to buy from her. Xbeir commercial experience has given them a broader understanding of this twentieth century world than is possessed by either the junkers, tho military element, or the middle ruling class. They know that when all the world gets to regarding Germany and Germans with detestation, when " Hun" is become the wellnigh universal description of a German, it presages a different relationship of Germany to tho world in which G-ermany heretofore has carried on a profitable commerce. COMMON PEOPLE AROUSED. While tho commercial Germans are realising tho significance of this developing prejudioe against things German tlio masses of the. German people, no longer under tho hypnotic influence of their vision of world conquest, arc asking themselves Avhat it boots them to Buffer and starve and die, if at the end they are to bt? merely the outcasts, tho

pnriahs of tho world, with Holienzol* lernism more (irmly than ever fastened on their'neck, while even the despised ■ slimM have achieved freedom. Evon assuming that Germany shall be bigger after the war than now, whan will iti mean to the German people? Merely that there will he groat territories to be lcent under the military heel and thus to afford pretext for maintaining the army and the army casta, for continuing tho policy or tremendous armaments and thus leaving in the hands of the dynasty tho instrument with which to continue frustrating the national ambition for more liberal institutions. Thus while German intrigue has attempted to subvert the Russian revolution to tne advantage of Germany, there has been a reciprocal influence of that revolution upon Germnny. The '-I'.lrrs of Germany hope to weaken Russia. but the masses of Germany would like to follow i;i the footsteps of Russia.