us now during the war of
her complete indifference to Poland and leave us a free hand in
the administration of the whole state.

It will also remain to be seen whether, in view of the danger
caused to Germany and also to her relations with Austria-Hungary
through Poland's unwillingness to accept the situation, it would
not be more desirable politically for Germany, while retaining the
frontier territory as being necessary for military protection, to
grant to Poland full right of self-determination, also with the
possibility of being joined to Russia.

The question of the annexation of Roumania, according to the
Kreuznach debate of May 1, must be treated further and solved in
connection with the questions that are of interest to Germany
respecting Courland, Lithuania and Poland.

It was a special pleasure to me to meet you, dear Count Czernin,
here in Berlin and to discuss openly and frankly with you the
questions that occupy us at present. I hope in days to come there
may be an opportunity for a further exchange of thoughts enabling
us to solve problems that may arise, and carry them out in full
agreement.

With the expression of my highest esteem, I remain your very
devoted

MICHAELIS.

I replied to the Chancellor that I welcomed, as a matter of course,
the agreement to maintain complete frankness, but remarked that I
could not share his optimism. I explained that the increasing
war-weariness, both in Germany and in Austria-Hungary, rendered it
imperative to secure peace in good time, that is, before any
revolutionary signs appeared, for any beginning of disturbances would
spoil the chance of peace. The German point of view in the case of
Belgium seemed to me quite mistaken, as neither the Entente nor
Belgium would ever consent to the terms. I could not, therefore,
conceal from him that his point of view was a serious obstacle to
peace; that it was also in direct opposition to the Reichstag view,
and I failed to understand it.

I then spoke of the necessity of coming to an understanding as to the
minimum of the war aims in which an important part is played by the
question whether and how we can achieve a voluntary and peaceable
annexation of Poland and Roumania by the Central Powers.

I finally again pointed out that I interpreted the views of the German
Reichstag as demanding a peace without annexation or indemnity, and
that it would be out of the question for t