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.
As Klabund's interests in eastern literature deepened, so did his growing disillusionment with the war. He began to write and translate works from this region, which ultimately led him to challenge the authority of Kaiser Wilhelm II. In 1917, he published an open letter urging the Kaiser's resignation.