ated to
the part which remained in Austria. It was recognized, however, that
Italy was now friendly to Germany, and that no good part was likely to
be achieved by doing anything to alienate Italian sympathy. The
French, however, begin to count on some Italian support when the
Austro-German idea is put to the test. The experimental plebiscite
taken in the Tyrol was said to have been arranged from Munich. Its
astonishing success from a German point of view at once encouraged the
intrigue.

There was not much alarm on the subject of the "sanctions" which France
threatened to apply. The Bavarian is too lethargic, slow, and
easy-going to be readily frightened--in temperament he has little in
common with the high-spirited, nervous Prussian. Bavarians spoke of
Germany and Germany's war-debt with an aloofness as of neutrals. It
did not trouble them deeply. They were sceptical as to France's
ability to collect a huge indemnity. The fifty per cent tax they
regarded as an absurdity. "It is possible to ruin Germany, but it is
not possible to enslave her," was the common opinion.

"But in the event of the complete ruin of the rest of Germany, would it
not be to the advantage of Bavaria to accept the idea of a separate
State?" I argued.

"If France deprived Germany of coal by occupying the Ruhr basin and by
allowing the Poles to hold Upper Silesia, Bavaria would have to look
out for herself and make what arrangements she could," I was told. But
it was an unwilling admission.

In the French scheme of things that is when Bavaria's moment comes. At
one stage this May it seemed as if that moment were near, but now that
Germany has accepted the alternative plans of payment of reparations,
and the British Prime Minister has intervened on her behalf to stop the
Polish annexation, the moment does not seem so near. But a great
effort will doubtless yet be made to detach Bavaria from the rest.

Meanwhile, Bavaria took advantage of the intrigue to keep a territorial
army of a kind undemobilized. The reich could demobilize it at will,
but allows itself to appear helpless through Bavaria's independence.
The situation was not helped by the arrival of a young British
staff-officer, who said that the British Government sympathized with
Bavaria, believing that she needed what troops she had to keep off
Bolshevism. Eventually the pressure in Germany became so great that
Bavaria gave a verbal promise to disarm--though to what exten