“A report, based on the personal testimony of representative Germans, concerning the conditions existing in 1919.” (Sub-title) The author of this book, which is translated from the French, with an introduction, by William L. McPherson, was a lieutenant of the Belgian army. He went to Berlin after the signing of the armistice to engage in a series of personal interviews with men of prominence in diplomacy, the army, industry, finance, politics, journalism, the arts and sciences. These interviews are here published in full and contain such names as: Brockdorff-Rantzau; Prince Lichnowsky; General Kluck; Karl Helfferich; Hugo Haase; Karl Kautsky; Theodor Wolff; Maximilian Harden; Hermann Sudermann, and many others. In his conclusions the author treats of: Germany and the war; Germany and the atrocities; The Kaiser—militarism—bolshevism; Public spirit—the government; Germany and the society of nations; The new Germany. The book also contains a preface by Baron Beyens, former Belgian minister in Berlin, and has an index.
+ Booklist 16:339 Jl ’20
“A full revelation is this volume of the true inwardness of the German character.”
+ Boston Transcript p6 Ag 4 ’20 500w
“The interviewer writes with the violent prejudice of an enemy who still fears his defeated foe. But many of the conversations are of peculiar interest none the less. Especially valuable, perhaps, are the statements of Kautsky and other Socialists; also the account of the shameless murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.” H: W. Nevinson
+ − Freeman 1:404 Jl 7 ’20 280w
“No better account has appeared of the individuals who are directing the destinies of the young republic.”
+ Ind 104:67 O 9 ’20 30w
“Lieutenant Berger draws with bold strokes the portraits of the men he met—they stand out with lifelike distinctiveness. His style is simple and vivacious and his subject matter is engrossing.”