Germany and Her Allies.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15870, 9 April 1917, Page 6

Germany and Her Allies.

Judging by this morning's cable messages, Austria, which had shown signs of being tired of the war, has once more been brought to heel by Germany, with the result, if an Amsterdam report is correct, that diplomatic relations between Austria and the United States have now been broken off. It is comparatively easy to sell one's soul to Satan, but extremely difficult to get it back again, and no doubt Germany's allies are realising this truth from their own bitter experience. It would be unwise to build any largo nopes upon the chance of a disruption of the enemy alliance, but all the elements of a disruption are there. The binding force hitherto has been the confidence of Germany's allies, first, in a German victory, and later, in a peace which, being on the whole favourable to Germany, would bo favourable to them. This confidence has disappeared, and when it is definitely replaced by a conviction that Germany cannot expect anything but defeat, theso unhappy victims of German ambition will find some way of saving something out of tho wreck. Neither Turkey nor Bulgaria was threatened by the Allies; neither had any real ground 'for entering tho war. They merely seized what they thought was an opportunity to improve their estate. They aro not in the -least devoted to the furtherance of Gorman interests as such, and they would unquestionably be glad to get out of tho war. Bulgaria remains a belligerent only through the influence of tho politicians whom Germany has bought. A few weeks ago, in the Sobranjo, tho Premier was attacked for his excessive subservience to Germany, and the tone of J tho debate can be gathered from the j remarks of a Deputy who, after complaining bitterly of the sacrifice of Bulgarian troops for German ends, said: "Wo did not enter the war to " fight for Germany, but for ourselves. "What is Germany giving us in exchange? I warn the Bulgarian Go- " vernment that thero will be trouble " if the Bulgarian army i 3 exploited "purely to achieve German ambi-

"tions." As for Austria, there is no doubt as to the misery caused by the war or as to the deep longing of the whole people for peace. The peace movo last December was hailed with delirious joy, and its failure caused depression and anger. The young Emperor is himself very desirous of peace, if it can be had. The pan-German idea is detested. Even the dismemberment proposals of the Entente, in their reply to Mr Wilson-, did not quench tho ardour for peace in many of the newspapers in the Dual Monarchy. These proposals, it was urged, could not be accepted, but still some basis of a settlement should be industriously sought. Since a separate peace with Austria would bo the end of German resistance, Germany will exert all her power to keep her allies together. But, as they owe no more loyalty to Germany than may suit their own purposes, the task of keeping them together may well prove too much for German}' when it is clear that the German game is up.