Von Tirpitz told the emperor that it must be at least two years
more before the German navy would be able to try conclusions with
England.

The German plan was to take the European countries one at a time. The
German information was that every country except Germany was
unprepared, and that information was true. She was fully prepared
except in her navy.

One of the leaders among those great business Lords of England, who sit
with the Commoners in business, but in the House of Lords as respects
legislation, said to me when I spoke of the wonderful intelligence of
Germany in research and data, scientific and political: "But, don't you
think that the Germans had too much information and too little
judgment?"

In other words, they had a stomach full of facts but no capacity to
digest them. They knew as much about Ulster and perhaps more than
London as respects facts and detailed information, but they were in no
position to pass judgment upon Ulster or the unity of the British
Empire the moment there was an attack from the outside. The Germans
have dealt in materialistic facts. But with the spirit that moulds and
makes history they are all awry. With the Germans, individuals are
units and are counted from the outside, never from the inside. That is
why her diplomacy is not only a failure, but offensive: it never
differentiates among nations and peoples according to that which is
within the mind and the heart of the people.

The German Emperor directed the Austrian ultimatum to Servia, insisting
upon stronger demands than were at first proposed. Then, turning his
back upon the scene, he was able to protest that he was not
responsible. Yet the published correspondence from every capital in
Europe now shows that the German Emperor fenced off every attempt to
get Austria to modify or postpone or discuss her demands. Germany was
ready for everything except the interference of Great Britain.

A private telephone rang at five o'clock one morning in Berlin and an
American lady was informed from a social quarter that "Something
dreadful has happened." "Something awful--something undreamed of."
The American lady quickly asked, "Has the Kaiser been assassinated?" as
the tone over the telephone indicated nothing less.

The response was, "England has declared war!"

That was the most unlooked-for step in all the German calculations.

Every spy report, every diplomatic agency, military and civil, had
reported that En