“At the same time I wired the Emperor: 

“’Telegrams arriving show the situation becoming critical for us.  Regarding question of food, we can only avoid collapse on two conditions:  first, that Germany helps us temporarily, second, that we use this respite to set in order our machinery of food supply, which is at present beneath contempt, and to gain possession of the stocks still existing in Hungary.

“’I have just explained the entire situation to Dr. Kuehlmann, and he is telegraphing to Berlin.  He, however, is not at all sanguine, as Germany is itself in straitened circumstances.  I think the only way to secure any success from this step would be for Your Majesty to send at once, through military means, a Hughes telegram to Kaiser Wilhelm direct, urgently entreating him to intervene himself, and by securing us a supply of grain prevent the outbreak of revolution, which would otherwise be inevitable.  I must, however, emphatically point out that the commencement of unrest among our people at home will have rendered conclusion of peace here absolutely impossible.  As soon as the Russian representatives perceive that we ourselves are on the point of revolution, they will not make peace at all, since their entire speculation is based on this factor.’

“January 17, 1918.—­Bad news from Vienna and environs:  serious strike movement, due to the reduction of the flour rations and the tardy progress of the Brest negotiations.  The weakness of the Vienna Ministry seems to be past all understanding.

“I have telegraphed to Vienna that I hope in time to secure some supplies from the Ukraine, if only we can manage to keep matters quiet at home for the next few weeks, and I have begged the gentlemen in question to do their utmost not to wreck the peace here.  On the same day, in the evening, I telegraphed to Dr. von Seidler, the Prime Minister: 

  “’I very greatly regret my inability to counteract the effect of
  all the errors made by those entrusted with the food resources.

  “’Germany declares categorically that it is unable to help us,
  having insufficient for itself.

“’Had your Excellency or your department called attention to the state of things in time, it might still have been possible to procure supplies from Roumania.  As things are now, I can see no other way than that of brute force, by requisitioning Hungarian grain for the time being, and forwarding it to Austria, until the Roumanian, and it is to be hoped also Ukrainian, supplies can come to hand.’

[Illustration:  GENERAL HOFFMANN (on right) WITH MAJ.  BRINKMANN]