LAND & WATER 
March 30, lyiG 
RUNNING AMOK 
By Arthur Pollen 
The Breakdown of German Diciplinc 
WITHIN the last ten clays there has been a dra- 
matic and smprising change in Germany's 
submarine policy. On the i6th' March von 
Tirpitz's resignation on the score of health was 
announced, and German papers, no less than the resolutions 
proposed in the Reichstag by the Conservatives and the 
National Liberals, made it quite clear that the Grand 
Admiral had not resigned, but liad been dismissed. In two 
numbers of the Zukuuft, published since the resignation, 
extracts of wliich are translated in Tuesday's Times, 
Herr Maximilian Harden sets out this view of the situa- 
tion with admirable clearness. Admiral Tirpitz, he says, 
" believes that only submarine war without mercy or 
restraint, and without the brake of pulitieal coiisiiienilion, 
can compel England to conclude peace within any 
measurable period of time. He who is responsible for 
the conduct of Imperial affairs (viz. the Chancellor), 
demands respect for political consideration, ' In that 
case,' the answer is shouted. ' the certainty of (piick 
results dwindles,' The decision can only come from tlie 
Supreme War Lord, He follows the advice of his Chan- 
cellor, and the Admiral departs. There is now a hail- 
storm of leading articles, telegrams of homage, and 
resolutions. Subscriptions are collected by innkeepers, 
tobacconists and waiters. There was not a quarter of 
the noise after the dismissal of Bismarck. The Secretary 
of State becomes so upset that he has to walk for hours in 
the Berlin air to revive himself. The chiefs of the 
Admiralty Sta.fi, of the Battle Fleet, and of the Naval 
Cabinet remain at their posts, and Admiral von Capelle, 
who for years was the most trusted colleague of Tirpitz, 
is now Secretary of. State. These four German admirals 
have either contributed to the decision or at least tind 
it compatible with their duty Ought, then, 68,000,000 
(iermans to believe that their heaviest weapon has either 
been shattered or curtailed ? " 
All this was written by Mr. Harden lor the Zukiinft 
of Saturday last. He j)robabIy wrote behjrc hearing 
anything either of the sinking of the Dutch Liners or of 
subsequent events. He concluded then on the Tlnu'sday 
of last week, as I had concluded on the Tuesday, that the 
von Tirpitz policy had been abandoned out of respect for 
" pohtical considerations," viz., to prevent complications 
with neutrals and especially with the United States, for 
any such must ultimately be disastrous to Germany. 
That is, or was, the correct conclusion borne out by the 
facts. The new submarine campaign was due to begin 
on March ist, but between March ist and March 2otli 
there were but 14 sliips of all nations attacked or sunk 
by submarines and mines in home waters, this number 
is rather below than above that of previous months. 
But the eight days March 20th to March 27th, no less 
than 20 ships had been attacked or sunk in home 
waters, a higher average than for any month since 
February, 1915. In other words, the von Tirpitz 
programme was held in abeyance until the 20th of 
the month. 
It comes then to this. Between the 16th, the day 
of von Tirpitz's departure, and the iqth, when the 
linal orders for the new campaign must have been given, 
something brought about a very startling change. \\'liat 
was it ? The answer can only be that even von Hollweg 
must have been brought to realise that the internal con- 
dition of Germany created by the discontent over the 
Verdun losses in the west, and anxiety about the new 
Russian offensive in the cast, made it imperative to 
pacify the people by the promise of fresh British h(jlo- 
causts. It was, of course, extremely signilicant that, 
judging in the cool light of reason " He," as Herr Harden 
lias it, " who is responsible for the conduct of Imperial 
.\lfairs," realised that at the present juncture of the war, 
to force a quarrel with America and Holland would be 
ruinous. But it is far more signilicant that it is ])opular 
clamour and nothing less that makes this respect " to 
jwlitical considerations" impossible. For it means that t he 
German people ha\c got out of hand. ,"'lhe decision 
can only come from the supreme War Lord," sajs Ger- 
many's acutest critic. But, as a fact, it has come from 
the "hailstorm of leading articles" and the agitation led 
by " innkeepers, tobacconists and waiters." My forecast 
of last week is wrong, not because I was mistaken in 
crediting the German Government with a foreseeing 
regard for the country's interest, but because I was wrong 
in supposing that it still had the power to follow any 
policy of its own. 
The Neutrals and the New Campaign 
Of the new campaign itself there is not very much 
to be said. It is indeed being made " without mercy or 
restraint and without the brake of political considera- 
tions," Norway, which has lost nearly 100 ships through 
German mines and torpedoes, and has been compensated 
for only four, is exceedingly near an open revolt against 
present conditions. The Dutch Government, whose 
situation is extraordinarily difficult, is arranging to con- 
voy all national ships plying down Channel and has 
suggested to shipowners that the northabout route is 
probably safer. By a miracle of good luck none of the 
Americans in the Sussex were killed, though some have 
been cruelly injured. And the fate of the .Americans in 
the liner Eiis^lislimaii does not yet seem certain. But it 
is clear from American advices that the United States 
Government has become reconciled to its intervention in 
the war being now ine\-itablc. To disregard an American 
warning is a thing Germany has done so often without 
])enalty, that she might ha\-e done it again and relied 
upon continued impunity. But the pledge which Count 
Bernstorff gave in September — that no unresisting pas- 
senger ship should be sunk without visit and search, and 
proper provision of safety for those on board — was an 
undertaking volunteered by Germany herself. Since 
September (jcrmany has, it is true, raised the point of 
mercliantmen being armed and seems to ha\-e included 
the united with the resisting ships. But no cross-Channel 
steamer has ever been armed, and it is doubtful if one 
has ever crossed without a considerable contingent of 
Americans on board. The case of the Sussex then is 
crucial. It is not only a challenge to America, in that it 
ignored the American threat, as in the case of the Arabic, 
Ancona and Persia incidents ; it is doubly a challenge 
because it was a breach of a definite German promise 
made, be it remembered, to prevent the summary 
dismissal of Bernstorff. It is clear from Mr. Wilson's 
speeches that he must regard submission to such treat- 
ment as inconsistent with the honour of the country. 
The immediate result tlien of this week's work is to 
exasperate Norway and Holland into almost open enmity 
and to leave the United States with no choice but to 
break off relations with Germany. To do otherwise is 
for America to abandon any claim to moral weight- in 
the councils of Christendom. The character and high 
culture of her citizens, her enormous wealth, her stupen- 
dous productive capacity, the invaluable services which 
as a commercial and manufacturing community she now 
renders to the neutral world, these things— whatever the 
action of the .\merican Goxernment may be — will remain 
and will si'cure that nieasme of admiration, affection and 
respect wiiit h such cpialities, powers and possessions must 
always command. But to carry moral weight amongst 
other nations, a nation must sIkjw itself possessed of 
self-respect as a nation. And self respect as we and 
Belgium, Serbia and France have painfully learned, 
stipulates being ready and capable of taking national 
action at the cost of national sacritice. There is no 
doubt that .America, after a long and hmniliating 
schooling, has now learnt this lesson too. 
The Protection of Shipping 
Unfortunately even if all the neutrals victimised by 
the new campaigij became belligerents, it would go luit 
a little way towards thwarting ihe new campaign's 
object. I'or this, as has so often been set out in thc^e 
columns,- is not mereW to siaii iiritiJa shipping, but to 
