General Headquarters sent inquiries to five government departments, the Foreign Office, the Navy, the Ministry of War, the Treasury, and Interior.  The Ministers at the head of these departments were asked to state whether in their opinion the controversy with America should be adjusted, or whether the submarine warfare should be continued.  Dr. Karl Helfferich, the Vice Chancellor and Minister of Interior, Secretary of State von Jagow, and Count von Roedern, Minister of Finance, replied to adjust the difficulty.  The Army and Navy said in effect:  “If you can adjust it without stopping the submarine warfare and without breaking with the United States do so.”

The latter part of April the Kaiser summoned all of his ministers and his leading generals to the French chateau which he used as his headquarters in Charleville.  This city is one of the most picturesque cities in the occupied districts of northern France.  It is located on the banks of the Meuse and contains many historic, old ruins.  At one end of the town is a large stone castle, surrounded by a moat.  This was made the headquarters of the General Staff after the Germans invaded this section of France.  Near the railroad station there was a public park.  Facing it was a French chateau, a beautiful, comfortable home.  This was the Kaiser’s residence.  All streets leading in this direction were barricaded and guarded by sentries.  No one could pass without a special written permit from the Chief of the General Staff.  Von Falkenhayn had his home nearby in another of the beautiful chateaux there.  The chief of every department of the General Staff lived in princely fashion in houses which in peace time were homes for distinguished Frenchmen.  There were left in Charleville scarcely a hundred French citizens, because obviously French people, who were enemies of Germany, could not he permitted to go back and forth in the city which was the centre of German militarism.

When the ministers arrived at the Kaiser’s headquarters, His Majesty asked each one to make a complete report on the submarine war as it affected his department.  Dr. Helfferich was asked to go into the question of German finance and the relation of America to it.  Dr. Solf, the Colonial Minister, who had been a very good friend of Ambassador Gerard, discussed the question of the submarine warfare from the stand-point of its relation to Germany’s position as a world power.  Admiral von Capelle placed before the Kaiser the figures of the number of ships sunk, their tonnage, the number of submarines operating, the number under construction and the number lost.  General von Falkenhayn reported on the military situation and discussed the hypothetical question as to what effect American intervention would have upon the European war theatres.