Herr Erzberger, in defending himself against the Junkers in the
German Assembly on Friday week, revealed the fact that in August and September, 1917, the military party foiled an attempt on the part of the Pope to find some ground for mediation between Germany and the Allies. The British Government, it appears, had told the Pope that they could not answer his request for a restatement of their Peace terms until Germany made some definite declaration of her intentions in regard to Belgium. The Papal Nuncio at Munich transmitted to Herr Michaelis this British message to the Pope on August 13th, 1917. The German Government made no reply until September 24th, when the Pope was informed that Germany could say nothing about Belgium. Meanwhile Herr Michaelis had privately agreed to the demand of Marshal von Hindenburg and General Ludendorff that Germany should at least annex Liege and retain economic control of Antwerp and the rest of Belgium. At the same time the Reichstag leaders were assured that the Government would accept a peace without annexations. These revelations of the late German Government's duplicity and greed are said to have astonished the German public,. They served at least to obtain for Herr Bauer's Ministry a large majority on a vote of confidence on Tuesday.
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