File No. 763.72/6102

The Minister in Denmark ( Egan) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

Headed by official Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, many of the German papers print anniversary articles of the war situation. With the exception of Vorwärts, all describe the situation of a year ago as one of much seriousness and danger thereby furnishing a dark background on which improved situation may be favorably compared. Vorwärts states the Social Democratic position as follows:

The German people are as firmly decided not to lengthen the war by German annexation aims as they are not to shorten it by concurring in similar aims of the enemy. Peace will come when the annexationists [in] Allied lands have suffered the same defeat as in Germany.

[Page 153]

In contradistinction to this last sentence the Pan-German press is asserting loudly that the peace resolution is void because of France’s claim to Alsace-Lorraine.

Egan