IN GERMANY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17280, 22 September 1916, Page 7

IN GERMANY.

BREAK THE TRUTH MOVEMENT

(“ Westminster Gazette,” July 28.) A movement is going on in Germany, apparently at the instance of the Chancellor and tho Government, •lo break certain unpalatable facts about tho military situation to tho German , public. Tlie emotional letter from the front calling upon tho German • nation to ‘‘unite in opposition to the entire world,” which the Berne correspondent or the Wireless Press attributes to the Kaiser himself, is in line with this movement, and its publication ‘throughout tho Press is certainly a sign of the' times. It may, therefore, be interesting to go back a little and discover, so far as we can from a study of German newspapers, what is the present state of opinion in Germany and what exactly aro the steps that are now being taken to enlighten it. Bearing the early months of this year the Jingoes held the field, 1 and proclaimed it to be the intention of their Government to annex whatever territory it chose, to impose indemnities and extort economic terms which would impoverish and disarm its enemies. Six “economic associations” were especially to the fore in trumpeting these demands. As the year wore on, however, the Government seems to have become alarmed lest the uncorrected vogue of these violent opinions should lead to a corresponding disillusion when the actual military facts were known, and prevent it from making the kind of peace which is supposed to be within its grasp before the tide began to set against the Central Powers. It therefore, took steps cautiously to counteract the Jingo agitation, and on July 7 the semi-official “ Lokal Anzejger ” announced that “a large numbei of men of learning, industry, commerce and agriculture had united, under tho presidency of Prince Wedel, to form a German National Committee, with the object of awakening, whilst keeping from all one-sidedness, a united understanding among the German people for the conclusion of an honourable peace, which will safeguard the assured futuro of the ,Empire.” It was further stated during the next few days that the committee had taken offices in the Wilhelmstrasse, and was making all preparations for a public propaganda at an early date. Prince Wedel, the president, is a warm supporter of the Chancellor and an inti-, mate friend of the Emperor, and there appears to be no doubt that tho Government are behind him. VARIOUS VIEWS.

The announcement of the “ Lokal Anzeiger ” immediately drew tho fire of the Jingoes, as it was probably intended to do, and a hot fusillade followed. Revontlow declared that there was no need for any committee, and nothing for the Government to do but win the war by defeating England decisively. Professor Brandenburg protested' that the Chancellor should be screwed up to demaud tho maximum instead of' the German people being screwed down to consent to the minimum. Professor Schaefer dcm-anciec. equal liberty for his committee, which appears to have been ' formed to demand unlimited submarine ruthlessness against Britain. Prince Bulow’s friends ben-an to suggest that lie should bo brought back to take the place of the feeble and timid Bethmann-Hollweg. On the other hand, the Government organs stuck to their warning note. The “ Norddeutsche Zeitung ” spoke of the serio'us nature of the military situation- and of the necessity of keeping demands to what could be realised by action. The "Berliner Tagoblatt ” pointed out that even tho great Bernhardi had (before the war) warned Germany against annexations in Europe. Tile “Frankfurter Zeitung” suggested that Germany might even be playing England’s game by a renewal of submarine frightfulness, and quoted a learned engineer as saying it was an “ illusion ” to suppose that a submarine fleet could be built so strong as to create “ what is required, a revolutionary, yes revolutinoary, change in tho military situation.” Herr von Dewitz, a Conservative member of the Reichstag, said in the “Magdeburgisclie Zeitung that a controversy about waraims at tho present moment could do nothing but encourage “the pessimism which trickles from many sources and keeps spreading among the nation.” The first question which presented itself, said this gentleman, was “not what war-aim the Chancellor ought but what lie can formulate. . . . Wo stand, it is true, in the enemy country, but wo aro standing, save at Verdun, on the defensive, against an opponent more than twice as strong numerically, and abundantly provided with all technical weapons and artillery. Perhaps it is possible once again to turn this defensive into an offensive; perhaps it is not. Whether certain nations will yot, as time goes on, join the ranks of our enemies remains uncertain.” Tho semiofficial “Karlsruhe Zeitung” strikes the same note. “ We are fighting against almost tho whole world in a conflict forced on us by thoso who were overwhelmingly stronger, with tho plain intention of destroying ns. We are struggling, therefore, for our existence as a State and a nation. And, although wo are conducting even this war of defence according to the good old principle that the blow is the best parry, yet no man of even moderate intelligence can dispute the fact that we are essentially on tho defensive, and must gather up all our forces to defend ourselves victoriously against a terrible attack.” “ The position is grave,” says the “ Wesser Zeitung”; “the enemy is everywhere pressing us hard. Anxious sighs go up to heaven, about the wellnigh incessant rain which seems to be informal league with the blocking enemy. Everywhere hindrances and hamperings, accumulating provocations of tho anxious question: How is it all to end?”

A CRY OF ALARM. We do not wisli to exaggerate tho effect of these nrticles. They aro balanced, as wo have pointed out, by much fire-eating in the Jingo Press; and the gloomy passages are often accompanied by exhortations to take, courage and trust tho Army and the Government. But this at least may bo said. Such writing as wo have quoted would have been quite impossible six

months ago.’ Tho' journals in question Would not have dreamt of using this language, and,' if they had, the Censor would not have permitted it. That they use it now, and that the Government inspires it, and the Censor permits it can only mean that the Government thinks it necessary to break to the public that the grandiose ideas entertained 1 by the extremists (and encouraged by themselves at an earlier stage of the war)_ must be regarded as unattainable in view of the present military situation. When Karl von Wiegand cabled from Berlin to the “ New York World ” at tho beginning of this month that Germany was almost everywhere on the defensive, it was supposed that ha had—for some rather obscure reason —■ been permitted to make to the Amen, can public a special revelation which was denied to the German. This was clearly a mistake. We find the same phrase again and again in the officially inspired German newspapers, and a note in some which can only bo described' as a cry of alarm. It is not to be supposed that tha German Government, which thinks of everything, initiated this movement without calculating its effect on neutral and foreign opinion. We may bo quite sure it' would not have descended from its high note of last-year if it saw any prospect of-remaining on it. It is clearly trying ..to wipe out the effect of its own boasting in enemy and neutral countries, as well as to save itself from the wrath to come when its own people discover that the situation is far d'fferent from what they had been told and confidently believed. That this has become a German necessity may be accepted as the first result of the Allied offensives. ...