During this time he began to develop an interest in far eastern literature, which he began to translate and adapt. Over the course of the war, Klabund's outlook changed and he became an opponent of it. In 1917 he published an open letter to Kaiser Wilhelm II in the newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung calling for his abdication, and was charged with treason and lèse-majesté as a result.
At the same time, he started to cultivate an interest in eastern Asian literature, which he began to translate and modify. Throughout the war, Klabund's perspective shifted and he became a critic of it. In 1917, he published an open letter to Kaiser Wilhelm II in the newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung urging his abdication, and was subsequently accused of treason and lèse-majesté.