763.72/2837½
The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 29.]
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The Chancellor and von Jagow have been in Vienna. Von Jagow told me only on current business, but this was a diplomatic statement. I believe they went to settle the fate of Poland. I hear Prussia wants an independent Poland and Austria wants to make it part of the Austrian Empire. In any event I think Prussia will secure the organizing of the army which will soon be raised. A Pole told me two days ago that the peasants were coddled [Page 694] by Russia, whose motto in Poland was “divide et impera”, and that they will violently resent being drafted into the Prussian army.
The bitter attacks on the Chancellor continue. At a recent meeting in Bavaria resolutions even passed that the first objective of the war was to get rid of the Chancellor and the second to “clean out the Anglophile Foreign Office”, which prevented Germany from resorting to “reckless” methods for the swift winning of the war.
As a son-in-law of a high official told me to-day the break between the military and navy on one side and the Civil Government on the other has widened into almost Civil war. The same man told me that the K————. had lately become quite apathetic and lets events take their course.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The harvest is very good, but does not provide fat, and as yet, meat. But the starving out business I have always said was an “iridescent dream”.
New men, 80,000 in this vicinity alone, are being called to the colors.
Everyone here is getting more on razor edge, prisoners are treated more roughly and get worse food, there is a total failure of any Central Government. Bavaria is getting restless and dissatisfied, this will not amount to anything definite but is a sign of the times.
I went to Herringsdorf for a few days swimming. At a concert in the evening a man recited a poem he said he had written about “having bled enough”, and was violently applauded. Quite a contrast to the days when the best actors in Germany were not ashamed to spout the “hymn of hate”.
The military use the censorship even against papers friendly to the Chancellor and Germans certainly can hate each other as thoroughly and scientifically as they do most other nations. Dr. Taylor thinks that in peace times someone fed this nation too much meat.
The newspapers are rather preparing the people for the entry of Roumania but personally and knowing little about the situation I do not think that Roumania will march.
Yours ever