From April to December, 1916, was also the period of pamphleteering.  Every one who could write a pamphlet, or could publish one, did so.  The censorship had prohibited so many people and so many organisations from expressing their views publicly that they chose this method of circulating their ideas privately.  The pamphlets could be printed secretly and distributed through the mails so as to avoid both the censors and the Government.  So every one in Germany began to receive documents and pamphlets about all the ails and complaints within Germany.  About the only people who did not do this were the Socialists.  The “Alt-Deutsch Verband,” which was an organisation of the great industrial leaders of Germany, had been bitterly attacked by the Berlin Tageblatt but when the directors wanted to publish their reply the censors prohibited it.  So, the Alt-Deutsch Verband issued a pamphlet and sent it broadcast throughout Germany.  In the meantime the Chancellor and the Government realised that unless something was done to combat these secret forces which were undermining the Government’s influence, that there would be an eruption in Germany which might produce serious results.

Throughout this time the Socialist party was having troubles of its own.  Liebknecht was in prison but there was a little group of radicals who had not forgotten it.  They wanted the Socialist party as a whole to do something to free Liebknecht.  The party had been split before the advance of last summer so efforts were made to unite the two factions.  At a well attended conference in the Reichstag building they agreed to forget old differences and join forces in support of the Government until winter, when it was hoped peace could be made.

The Socialist party at various times during the war has had a difficult time in agreeing on government measures.  While the Socialists voted unanimously for war credits at the beginning, a year afterward many of them had changed their minds and had begun to wonder whether, after all, they had not made a mistake.  This was the issue which brought about the first split in the Socialists’ ranks.  When it came time in 1916 to vote further credits to the Government the Socialists held a caucus.  After three days of bitter wrangling the ranks split.  One group headed by Scheidemann decided to support the Government and another group with Herr Wolfgang Heine as the leader, decided to vote against the war loans.

Scheidemann, who is the most capable and most powerful Socialist in Germany, carried with him the majority of the delegates and was supported by the greater part of public opinion.  Heine, however, had the support of men like Dr. Haase and Eduard Bernstein who had considerable influence with the public but who were not organisers or men capable of aggressive action, like Scheidemann.  As far as affecting the Government’s plans were concerned the Socialist split did not amount to much.  In Germany there