But at the same time, Your Majesty instructed me to notify the statesmen of the German Empire that our strength is at an end, and that after the close of the summer Germany must not reckon on us any longer.

I carried out these commands and the German statesmen left me in no doubt that for Germany, too, another winter campaign would be impossible.

In this one sentence may be summed up all that I have to say: We can still wait some weeks and try if there is any possibility of dealing with Paris or Petersburg.

If that does not succeed, then we must--and at the right time--play our last card and make the extreme proposals I have already hinted at.

Your Majesty has proved that you have no selfish plans and that you do not expect from your German Ally sacrifices that Your Majesty would not be ready to make yourself.