made for modifying the ruthless
conditions under which the German admiralty had pursued the submarine
warfare. Grand Admiral von Tirpitz and the extremists opposed any
relaxation permitting passenger ships to be warned before being
torpedoed or safeguarding the lives of passengers. The chancellor
desired to place Germany on record as an observer of international
law, and the kaiser faced the task of determining which side should
prevail.

Admiral von Tirpitz was generally regarded as the originator of the
policy of sinking merchant shipping without heeding the recognized
laws of visit and search. "What would America say if Germany declares
war on all enemy merchant ships?" he had asked before Germany
initiated the submarine methods which caused the destruction of the
_Lusitania_ and the _Arabic_ and numerous other craft. His view of the
_Lusitania_ issue, as freely expressed in an interview, was that the
maintenance of friendly relations with the United States was of far
less importance than the continuance of the submarine blockade of
British ports, and that the entrance of the United States into the
war among Germany's enemies was preferable to acceding to the American
demands.

Since the _Lusitania_ disaster the imperial chancellor had been the
target of sustained attacks from the Von Tirpitz group, who charged that
he was not radical enough and inclined to abandon the extreme aims of
German policy. The agitation attained such serious proportions that the
National Liberal party issued a statement denying knowledge of any lack
of confidence in the Government. Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg's difficult
position in trying to save Germany from international outlawry, however,
was not sensibly weakened. Events temporarily showed that the kaiser
concurred more in his view than that of the hotspurs. There was a
momentary cessation of submarine activity. The chancellor's policy, the
keynote of which was: "Keep at peace with the United States," gained the
upper hand, and Admiral von Tirpitz grudgingly bowed to the chancellor's
contentions, on the condition that his acquiescence must be deemed
unofficial; but he held out against any formal disavowal by Germany of
the sinking of the _Arabic_. This attitude was comprehensible, for a
disavowal meant a repudiation of his submarine policy. Thus the
surrender of the extremists did not go very far; it merely helped to
relax the friction between the kaiser's councilors.

The outcome of