Evening star., 1899-03-06
'GERMANYS SATTITUDE
Premier Won Bulow's Speech to the
Reichstag.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS MAINTAINED
Two Peoples Bound by Many
Ties.
NO MOTIVE FOR A BREAK

The official reports have just reached the
State Department of the proce edings in the
| German reichstag on February IL, when
| the premier, and secretary of state, Herr
| Won Bulow, so signally repulsed the fierce
| attack upon America by the agrarian
leader. Count Kanitz. Inasmuch as the
| cabled press reports of the speech were in
| adequate to convey an accurate under
standing of this important utterance, Mr..
| Chapman Coleman of the State Depart
| ment has made a translation ot the full
text of that portion of It relating entirely
to America. This text is as follows:
| Premier Won Buloyv's Remarks.
THE presence OF our ships at Manila,
| sent there. and this accentuats most en-
| phatically, with other motive than to
! fulfill the legitimate obligation to protect
German life and property. proved to be
| useful and necessary-without furnishing
the belligsrent governments with cause for
| censure-not only for our own countrymen,
| but also for those subjects Of foreign states
| whose governments had spontaneously
| sought our protection. Not for one moment
| wers we unfaithful to our duty OF honest
| neutrality at Manila. II a portion Of the
| foreign press has falsely attributed to us
| another attitude, this changes nothing in
the absolute correctness of our actual con-
| duct.
| THAT which has been said and spread by
| thu foreign press about alleged German in
tentions as to the Philippines, or about
German support of the Tagals IN their re-
| Sis lance to American occupation, l here
| emphatically pronounce untrue. As to The
| assertion which has appeared in some,
| know not what, foreign journal, that cur
| consul general at Hong Kong had sold arms
| to the Fiipinos, it is one Of the plumpest
canards that ever rose from muddy pool.
| And 1 wish to remark on this occasion,
when / am compelled to characterize a
| series Of fables as fables, that the inter
| course at Manila of our naval officers with
| those OF America was not only free from
| any tension, but was characterized hy
spirit Of mutual courtesy. That our naval
| officers demeaned themselves at Manila in
| a blameless, irreproachable manner need
| not be emphasized here. But the American
| officers met them in an equally chivalrous
manner.
Relations With America.
'I now come to the political relations be-
tween Germany and America You will un-
derstand, and the gentleman who has just
spoken, and to whom am greatly indebted
for his kindly utterances respecting Secre
| taries of State IN general and the present
| one in particular. will understand, that 1
in my official position can only express my
self somewhat diplomatically as to this side
of the question. But l will not be too dip
lomatic, for I believe that between two
strong, manly peoples frankness and direct
| ness are the best policy, and the best medi
cine for imaginary rather than real dissen-
sionS.
I'm the first place declare that the rela-
tions between the German government and
the American government are good and
friendly, and have never ceased to be good
and friendly. The distinguished represen-
tative of the United States at Berlin, MIR.
White, recognized this fact in a speech
|
sary of independence, July /. in a manner
which, although it only expressed the fact,
caused US the greatest satisfaction. Mr..
White stated on that occasion-I am citing
from memory, but he said in efect-that
the conduct toward America of all those
who had the honor to represent Germany
was, throughout the entire Spanish-Ameri-
can war. all that America could have de-
sired. l. our side, confirm the fact that
the political demeanor of the American
government gave US no occasion for taking
exceptions.
No Reason for Unfriendiiness.
"From the standpoint of an intent
policy no ground whatever exists why Ger
many and America should not stand in the
best relations to each other. l see 10 point
where German and American interests con-
fiict, nor do 1 perceive in the future any
point where the lines Of their development
need cross each other in a hostile manner
But gentlemen We all know that in our
time the mutual relations of two govern
nentS not alone decisive, but that the
humor, favorable or adverse, of the peoples
themselves weighs heavily in the balance.
Humors, good or bad, have the popularity
and therein lies their daRger-that they
are usually hard to reach With logic. Every
one knows that from personal experience,
but / believe that it is useful to combat
such feeling with the language of cool rea-
SON There is a widely spread assumption
in America that ill-will against, and dislike
of, America prevail in Germany, while with
us the view is much held that Americans
are animated by particularly adverse feel
ing toward us. Whence came these misun-
derstandings? l say MISUNDERSTANDING,
for it is only q question of miSunderstand-
ings.
Il believe that very obscure perception
exists in America respecting the attitude
of German public opinion toward the Span
iSh-American war. That opinion was never
unjust or blind to the able and brilliant
qualities of the American people, and is,
if am not entirely wrong in my judgment,
free from all prejudice against that peo-
pie. That opinion is. has been justly
emphasized by Deputy DR.. Lieber, far re-
moved from begrudging the Americans the
fruits and the reward of their endeavors
and victories.
German Sympathy for Spain.
But German public opinion has also not
refused to extend an expression of human
sympathy to the brave and sorely tried
and glorious history. And this expression
of human sympathy would not have been
misunderstood in the United States If it
and Prince Bismarck has not alluded TO
this circumstance without ground-had not
been misstated by certain foreign organs
of the press in a manner L have no hesi-
fancy whatever in chaTacterizing as most
perndious, in order to excite distrust and
create false conceptions of US in America.
L say false conceptions for it was not in
the nature OF things that either our gem
eral foreign policy or the general status of
our relations with America should be af-
fected thereby.
The relations between Germany and
America do not date from yesterday.
Prince Bismarck has just recalled the fact
that it was Prussia's great king who, first
of all European sovereigns, recognized the
independence of the United States
should like to perfect this "reminiscences by
pointing to the circumstance that it was
the German peop'e who, during the great
est crisis that the United States has en-
countered, the war of secession, not only
in word, but in deed, above ali other ma
tions, gave assurance Of its confidence in
the future and in the continuance of the
creation of George Washington by sd-
vancing to the northern states the means
necessary for the prosecution of the war
W. Il x--;tl