My Thoughts and Actions
equally important economic existence, both during and after the war.
The inertia of the Imperial Government in so many, matters had unpleasant consequences for me, in that ill-wishers, and sometimes even over-zealous friends, dragged me into the strife of parties, although I was not at all .concerned and never put myself forward in any way. What I did was misrepresented and criticized without reference to circumstances. My actions and statements were misinterpreted. Vague and totally unfounded assertions were spread broadcast. At first, my frank and soldierly way of thinking prompted me to dismiss all this with a shrug of the shoulders ; it was not worth notice in view of the great work on which I was engaged. Later on I regretted these occurrences, but was unable to do anything to prevent them. I repeatedly asked the Press to leave me alone. Beyond that, I was too busy to take any action myself. Besides, I had no platform from which to speak, and above all, I gave the German nation credit for more sense of the stern reality. But it suited the Government to have discovered a lightning-conductor. Instead of protecting me they gave free rein to the agitators, represented me as a dictator, put everything down to the General Staff, and so embittered the feeling against me. That was the position, broadly speaking. The two Chancellors, Dr. Michaelis and Count von Hertling, were far above any such intrigues, but the irreparable mischief—and, in view of my military position, it was nothing short of a national disaster—was already done.
It became more and more the fashion to hold the General Staff, which in this case meant myself, responsible for our troubles and miseries. For example, my name was associated not only with the unavoidable hardships, but even with some of the abominations of the home rationing system. Indeed, I i^as represented as their author and blamed accordingly. Neither :he Quartermaster-General, nor the Intendant-General, nor I lad anything to do with the food supply at home, which was tntirely in the hands of the War Ministry and the Food Contro )ffice.