File No. 862.00/209
The Minister in Denmark ( Egan) to the Secretary of State
[Telegram]
Copenhagen,
October 15, 1917, 5 p.m.
[Received October 16, 5.55 p.m.]
[Received October 16, 5.55 p.m.]
1394. Legation’s 1371, October 11 [10], 4 p.m.1 Conger2 describes the political situation in Germany as “latent.” It will probably not be solved by Capelle’s resignation, announced yesterday morning, as the criticisms of the Government in both Reichstag and press indicate that the Chancellor was held largely responsible. The tendencies evident in the Reichstag debates and the accompanying press comment may be summarized as follows:
- 1.
- Evident diminuendo in generally accepted war aims particularly as regards Belgium: From being popularly regarded in early days of the war as German territory or as discussable only on basis of German military and industrial occupation, principle of renunciation is now generally accepted, even the Tageszeitung apparently admitting defeat on this point.
- 2.
- Crescendo in the demands for parliamentary government and general liberalization: In this question the Socialists alone seem to have the full courage of their convictions and only such Radical and Center elements as are represented by the Tageblatt and Erzberger appear to have fully grasped the conception that a complete break with the entire present system is necessary for Germany’s salvation. The other sections of the Reichstag Majority while aggravated into evident disgust at the present order, particularly in view of the assistance officially given to the Fatherland Party, are [Page 249] too timid to break with the deep-rooted militaristic-bureaucratic tradition, partially perhaps from fear that it will lead to complete internal disintegration. The “liberals” in press and Reichstag certainly have a more confident tone as though they could bring about the fall of the present Government if they thought it desirable to insist.
- 3.
- Disgust of military and reactionary circles with the swing towards liberalism which is plainly evident from the activities of the Fatherland Party and the quotations made in the Reichstag from speeches, orders, etc., of military officials at the front and elsewhere: The Reichstag’s assumption of a right to preponderating influence in national affairs is evidently highly distasteful to the military-Pan-German elements.
- 4.
- Increased stringency of military control in internal affairs and resulting increased irritation on the part of the civilian population: This evidenced by the greater violence of the criticisms in the censorship debates which brought to light instances of more severe internal military repression than in similar debates in the past. Heine’s criticisms Hindenburg for expression of interference in internal affairs is interesting in this respect and marks the first public reference detrimental to the field marshal. The admission of the plot in the Navy is another interesting symptom although the readiness with which it was admitted indicates that the trouble was not regarded as serious.
- 5.
- All of the above has resulted in deepening and defining the internal divisions in regard to which the Government is still endeavoring to take a midway and anomalous position, Kühlmann alone having the sympathy of the Majority group. His formula of “no alienation of Alsace-Lorraine” together with his implication of “renunciation “in other questions may form, to a certain extent, the “program” for which the Radicals and Socialists have been clamoring and may partially neutralize the internal discord resulting from the other events of the session.
American Legation