“January 15, 1918.—­I had a letter to-day from one of our mayors at home, calling my attention to the fact that disaster due to lack of foodstuffs is now imminent.

“I immediately telegraphed the Emperor as follows: 

“’I have just received a letter from Statthalter N.N. which justifies all the fears I have constantly repeated to Your Majesty, and shows that in the question of food supply we are on the very verge of a catastrophe.  The situation arising out of the carelessness and incapacity of the Ministers is terrible, and I fear it is already too late to check the total collapse which is to be expected in the next few weeks.  My informant writes:  “Only small quantities are now being received from Hungary, from Roumania only 10,000 wagons of maize; this gives then a decrease of at least 30,000 wagons of grain, without which we must infallibly perish.  On learning the state of affairs, I went to the Prime Minister to speak with him about it.  I told him, as is the case, that in a few weeks our war industries, our railway traffic, would be at a standstill, the provisioning of the army would be impossible, it must break down, and that would mean the collapse of Austria and therewith also of Hungary.  To each of these points he answered yes, that is so, and added that all was being done to alter the state of affairs, especially as regards the Hungarian deliveries.  But no one, not even His Majesty, has been able to get anything done.  We can only hope that some deus ex machina may intervene to save us from the worst.’”

“To this I added: 

“’I can find no words to describe properly the apathetic attitude of Seidler.  How often and how earnestly have I not implored Your Majesty to intervene forcibly for once and compel Seidler, on the one hand, and Hadik, on the other, to set these things in order.  Even from here I have written entreating Your Majesty to act while there was yet time.  But all in vain.’

“I then pointed out that the only way of meeting the situation would be to secure temporary assistance from Germany, and then to requisition by force the stocks that were doubtless still available in Hungary; finally, I begged the Emperor to inform the Austrian Prime Minister of my telegram.

“January 16, 1918.—­Despairing appeals from Vienna for food supplies.  Would I apply at once to Berlin for aid, otherwise disaster imminent.  I replied to General Landwehr as follows: 

“’Dr. Kuehlmann is telegraphing to Berlin, but has little hope of success.  The only hope now is for His Majesty to do as I have advised, and send an urgent wire at once to Kaiser Wilhelm.  On my return I propose to put before His Majesty my point of view, that it is impossible to carry on the foreign policy if the food question at home is allowed to come to such a state as now.

  “’Only a few weeks back your Excellency declared most positively
  that we could hold out till the new harvest.’