Berlin: Bethmann and the vice-chancellor have a secret meeting with the leaders of Germany’s largest political party, the German Social Democratic Party (SPD). To ensure their support Bethmann wants to convince them that German policy is defensive and pacific.
The German socialist are suspicious of Tsarist Russia and Bethmann is doing everything to put Russia in the wrong. He convinces the socialists that Germany wants to preserve the peace and has taken steps to mediate between Vienna and St Petersburg