Bethmann-Hollweg: "That Socialist's disguise is no good, All Highest. Let's try another clerical peace trick."
All over the world attempts were made to create distrust of German Social Democracy. We were described as being really war agitators, obedient servants of German Imperialism. The memorandum on our peace work which we delivered at Stockholm will, we hope, destroy many misunderstandings and many prejudices which are based on them.
Of course the misstatements and slanders have already begun again.
Herr Scheidemann,
Stockholm, June 29, 1917.
Dr. Michaelis: "The concentration of the Russian Army compelled Germany to seize the sword. There was no choice left to us."
We must keep before our eyes daily the events of three years ago, which are fixed in history and show that we were forced into war by Russia's secret mobilization, which was the great danger for Germany. To have participated in a conference while the Russian mobilization proceeded would have been political suicide.
Herr Michaelis,
Berlin, July 27, 1917.
