d in enemy country, unvanquished
and unbroken, when we had for Ally the strongest land Power in the
world, and when the greatest generals of the war so firmly believed in
the break-through and in final victory?

To demand that in 1917 or 1918 I should have accepted peace terms
which in 1919 were rejected by the whole of the German-Austrian people
is sheer madness. But it may be there is method in such madness. The
method of using every means to discredit the "old regime."

* * * * *

In the beginning of August, 1917, an effort was made at a
_rapprochement_ between England and Germany which, unfortunately,
almost immediately broke down.

At the suggestion of England a neutral Power had sounded Germany with
regard to Belgium. Germany replied that she was ready for direct
verbal negotiations with England on the Belgian question. In
transmitting this favourable answer, Germany did not entrust it to the
same neutral Power that had brought the message, but for some unknown
reason confided it to a trusted messenger from another neutral
country. This latter appears to have been guilty of some indiscreet
dealings, and when rumours of the affair reached Paris it caused some
anxiety. It was probably thought there that England was more
interested in the Belgian than in the Alsace-Lorraine question.

The messenger sent from Berlin thought that his task had failed, and
sent word to Berlin that, owing to his errand having been made known,
the opinion among the Entente was that every step taken by Germany was
condemned beforehand to failure.

The Government which had employed the messenger took up the case on
its own initiative, and transmitted the German reply to London. No
answer was ever received from England.

This is the account as given to me _post festum_ by Berlin, and
doubtless reflects Berlin's views. Whether the incident in detail was
exactly as described, or whether many more hitherto unknown events
took place, has not been proved.

During the war all happenings on the other side of the trenches were
looked upon with dim and gloomy eyes as through a veil, and, according
to news received by me later, it was not clear whether England had
sent an answer. Whether it was dispatched and held up on the way, or
what became of it I never knew. It is said never to have reached
Berlin.

A warlike speech by Asquith on September 27 appears to be connected
with this unsuccessful attempt, and ser