THE GULF BETWEEN KIEL AND BERLIN

At the beginning of the war, even the Socialist Party in the Reichstag
voted the Government credits. The press and the people unanimously
supported the Government because there was a very terrorising fear that
Russia was about to invade Germany and that England and France were
leagued together to crush the Fatherland. Until the question of the
submarine warfare came up, the division of opinion which had already
developed between the Army and Navy clique and the Foreign Office was
not general among the people. Although the army had not taken Paris, a
great part of Belgium and eight provinces of Northern France were
occupied and the Russians had been driven from East Prussia. The
German people believed they were successful. The army was satisfied
with what it had done and had great plans for the future. Food and
economic conditions had changed very little as compared to the changes
which were to take place before 1917. Supplies were flowing into
Germany from all neutral European countries. Even England and Russia
were selling goods to Germany indirectly through neutral countries.
Considerable English merchandise, as well as American products, came in
by way of Holland because English business men were making money by the
transaction and because the English Government had not yet discovered
leaks in the blockade. Two-thirds of the butter supply in Berlin was
coming from Russia. Denmark was sending copper. Norway was sending
fish and valuable oils. Sweden was sending horses and cattle. Italy
was sending fruit. Spanish sardines and olives were reaching German
merchants. There was no reason to be dissatisfied with the way the war
was going. And, besides, the German people hated their enemies so that
the leaders could count upon continued support for almost an indefinite
period. The cry of "Hun and Barbarian" was answered with the battle
cry "Gott strafe England."