“’Unless America does something against England within the next three months there will be a bitter fight against the Chancellor.  One cannot tell whether he will be able to hold his own against such opposition.  The future of German-American relations depends upon America.’

“Despite this political drive against the man who stood out against a break with the United States in the Lusitania crisis, Americans here believe Bethmann-Hollweg will again emerge triumphant.  They feel certain that if the Chancellor appealed to the public for a decision he would be supported.

“The fight to oust the Chancellor has now grown to such proportions that it overshadows in interest the Allied offensive.  The attacks on the Chancellor have gradually grown bolder since the appearance of Prince Buelow’s book ‘Deutsche Politik,’ because this book is believed to be the opening of Buelow’s campaign to oust the Chancellor and step back into the position he occupied until succeeded by Bethmann-Hollweg in 1909.

“The movement has grown more forceful since the German answer to President Wilson’s ultimatum was sent.  The Conservatives accepted the German note as containing a conditional clause, and they have been waiting to see what steps the United States would take against England.

“Within the past few days I have discussed the situation with leaders of several parties in the Reichstag.  A National Liberal member of the Reichstag, who was formerly a supporter of von Tirpitz, and the von Tirpitz submarine policies, said he thought Buelow’s success showed that opposition to America was not dead.

“‘Who is going to be your next President—­Wilson or Hughes?’ he asked, and then, without waiting for an answer, continued: 

“’If it is Hughes he can be no worse than Wilson.  The worst he can do is to declare war on Germany and certainly that would be preferable to the present American neutrality.

“’If this should happen every one in our navy would shout and throw up his hat, for it would mean unlimited sea war against England.  Our present navy is held in a net of notes.

“’What do you think the United States could do?  You could not raise an army to help the Allies.  You could confiscate our ships in American ports, but if you tried to use them to carry supplies and munitions to the Allies we would sink them.

“’Carrying on an unlimited submarine war, we could sink 600,000 tons of shipping monthly, destroy the entire merchant fleets of the leading powers, paralyse England and win the war.  Then we would start all over, build merchantmen faster than any nation, and regain our position as a leading commercial power.’

“Friends of the Chancellor still hope that President Wilson will take a strong stand against England, thereby greatly strengthening Bethmann-Hollweg’s position.  At present the campaign against the Chancellor is closely connected with internal policies of the Conservatives and the big land owners.  The latter are fighting Bethmann-Hollweg because he promised the people, on behalf of the Kaiser, the enactment of franchise reforms after the war.”