or, as von Tirpitz' successor. Admiral von Mueller, Chief of
the Naval Cabinet, who was always at Great Headquarters as the Kaiser's
personal adviser on naval affairs, was opposed to von Tirpitz and
exposed him at the Great Headquarters conferences by saying that von
Tirpitz had falsified the Navy's figures as to the number of submarines
available for a blockade of England. Von Capelle supported von Mueller
and when the friends of von Tirpitz in the Reichstag demanded an
explanation for the ousting of their idol, both the Chancellor and von
Capelle explained that Germany could not continue submarine warfare
which von Tirpitz had started, because of the lack of the necessary
submarines.

This was the first big victory of the Foreign Office. The democratic
forces in Germany which had been fighting von Tirpitz for over a year
were jubilant. Every one in Germany who realised that not until the
hold of the military party upon the Kaiser and the Government was
dislodged, would the Government be able to make peace now breathed
sighs of relief and began to make plans for the adjustment of all
differences with the United States and for a peace without annexation.
Von Tirpitz had had the support of all the forces in Germany which
looked forward to the annexation of Belgium and the richest portions of
Northern France. Von Tirpitz was supported by the men who wanted the
eastern border of Germany extended far into Poland and Lithuania.

Even Americans were delighted. Washington for the first time began to
see that eleven months of patience was bearing fruit. But this period
of exaltation was not destined to last very long. While the Chancellor
had cleaned house in the Navy Department at Berlin he had overlooked
Kiel. There were admirals and officers in charge there who were making
preparations for the Navy. They were the men who talked to the
submarine commanders before they started out on their lawless sea
voyages.

On March 24th the whole world was shocked by another U-boat crime. The
_Sussex_, a French channel steamer, plying between Folkstone and
Dieppe, was torpedoed without warning and Americans were among the
passengers killed and wounded. When the news reached Berlin, not only
the Chancellor and the Foreign Office were shocked and horrified, but
the American Embassy began to doubt whether the Chancellor really meant
what he said when he informed Gerard confidentially that now that von
Tirpitz was gone there wo