My War Memories, 19144918
unfortunate arrangement, for that office thus gained an influence in internal politics which would have been better excluded. Of course, the interests of this department should be represented and considered, but the final control, embracing all government departments, could only be in the hands of the Chancellor, who was their constitutional head, and performed the duty of reconciling their needs and interests. In November, xqi6, at the request of the Chancellor, I appointed Lieut ,-Colunel Deutel-moser to be attached to his department, in the hope that after the resignation of Gchcimral Hammann some large scheme might be initiated. The work which was allotted to the Lieutenant-Colonel did not correspond to my expectations, In detail, my demands had been directed to securing the control of all the Press sections of the civil departments by some person of authority directly responsible to the Chancellor; the dose co-operation of this authority with the War Press Bureau and the Press Department of the Admiralty; the limitation of the Press Department of the Foreign Office to questions of foreign politics, and in compensation, a more vigorous propaganda campaign in enemy, neutral and allied newspapers; finally, the representation and promotion of the domestic interests of the Press through one central bureau.
The Imperial Chancellor, von Bethmann-Hollweg, refused all my demands.
The unified control of the Press would have been a means of once more rousing the resolution of the German people and of overcoming disintegrating influences, Enemy propaganda must be countered immediately by explanation of an even more pene* trating and persistent character and must be supplemented by the speeches of statesmen and leading thinkers, and oral propaganda generally. Every German, man or woman, should be told daily what the loss of the war would mean to the Fatherland, Pictures and the cinematograph had to be used for the same end* An explanation of the dangers confronting us would have had a different effect from the thought of war profits or all the talking and writing about a peace of understanding. What is equally important, it would have preserved us from greater dangers
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