Page:The New Europe - Volume 3.djvu/444

 Duke of Würtemberg, who has recently come to Switzerland, nominally to inspect interned Germans.

“The Petrograd incident throws light upon the incident of the Swiss Minister at Washington, where Herr Hoffmann, again without the knowledge of his colleagues in the Federal Council, made a pacifist démarche, in the interests not of Switzerland but of Germany All demands for explanations Herr Hoffmann has met with a refusal, and the majority in the National Council has left the matter in silence. Now it will have to be cleared up. The Swiss Press is unanimous in demanding that the Augean stable shall be thoroughly cleaned. Proceedings against (Herr Hoffmann) and an enquiry are demanded Popular meetings are being organised everywhere The indignation is enormous, and the independent newspapers (I mean those not controlled by the German Legation) of German Switzerland are equally energetic in demanding full light on the affair Many papers actually demand the resignation of the entire Federal Council, or at least of those members who compromised themselves by supporting Hoffmann. Thus a grave crisis is arising in Switzerland”

In a postscript Mr. Kufferath the following quotation from the Journal du Jura, and adds that he has verified the latter’s facts:—“When the Belgian Minister at Berne, Baron Groote, came to inform the Helvetic Government of his Government’s protest against the irruption of German troops into Belgium, Herr Hoffmann, who as Foreign Minister received him, took note of his protest without finding a single word of compassion or sympathy for this unhappy little people. Baron Groote left his room with tears in his eyes. We learnt this at the time, and Herr Hoffmann was judged in our eyes.

“Later on we learnt that Herr Hoffmann had facilitated correspondence between Prince Büllow, then at Lucerne, and certain circles in Rome which were intriguing against Italy’s entry. This correspondence took place through the medium of the Swiss diplomatic bags, and under cover of the Swiss Legation in Rome. Herr Hoffmann, when his attention was ealled to this, replied contemptuously that there was nothing reprehensible in it. If at the time we did not make this public, it was not for fear of being taxed with lack of patriotism, but simply because no one would then have believed us.”

In our two past issues we published the formally presented to the Austrian Reichsrat, the uncompromising answer of the German parties, and  of Count Clam-Martinic. Events have completely justified our sceptical attitude towards “the new policy” in Austria. Count Clam-Martinic, upon whose person a section of the British Press based fantastic and exaggerated hopes, has revealed himself, not as the herald of Federal reform, but as the champion of the old order, assured of the support of the Germans against the Slavs.

The Russian Revolution had made it impossible to leave the Austrian Parliament unsummoned any longer, especially if the Russian Socialists