New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-01
Won BUELOW EXPLAINS
RESIGNATION REFUSED
German Chancellor Takes Blame for
I'm perial InterCieW.

Berlin. Oct 31-The "Norddeutsche Allge-
meme Zeitung" says that Prince Won BUlow,
the Imperial Chancellor. offered his resignation
TO Emperor William to-day in consequence OF
the publication in London of the interview with
his majesty. for which the Chancellor took the
responsibility The Emperor would not accept
the Chancellor's resignation. and at the same
time permitted Prince Won Bulow to publish a
full explanation to meet the unJustlhaple
attacks that have been made on his majesty
The Chancelor's explanation as printed In
the "Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung' Is as
follows:
great portion Of the foreign and national
press publishes criticisms directed against MS
ma esty relative TO the article in The LONDON
Daily Telegraph" These criticisms are founde9
on the assumption that the Emperor perml1teo
the publication Of the article without the pre-
vious knowledge of the government authorities
responsible for the imperial policy. 1hlS as
sumption is unfoUnded- ,.,
His majesty received from private English
man. with a request that he be permitted 10
publish it the manuscript of an article in which
a seFies of conversations between the Emperor
and several Englishmen. held at various oates
were put together. The reason given Tor the
request was in order to make known his maJes-
tvs rtterances to the largest possible number
of English readers. thus serving to improve
Anglo German relations
The Emperor forwarded this manuscript TO
the Chancellor, who in turn sent it to the For
eign Office with a note requesting Careful ScTul-
my. The Foreign Office did not report any
thing Objectionable in the contents and publ
cation thereupon followed.
When the Chancellor. as a result of the publ
cation in The Daily Telegraph became aware
Of the contents of this manuscript. he explained
to the Emperor that he personally had not read
it, and that, had he done so, ne would nave
hesitated and advised against its publication
He holds himself alone responsible and desires
to protect the officials under him at the same
time he offered to resign, Pn[ me On mp re
quest of the Chancellor. however his majesty
permitted the publication of this eXpIanatloh'
so that Prince Won BuloW would be IN posluoii
to meet unjustifiable attacks on the person or
the Emperor. .
Prince Won BiiIows explana ton is not consid-
cred likely to calm public feeling The severe
criticisms aimed at the Emperor. who. it has
been assumed up to the present time acted
entirely on his own initiative. are now regarded
as unwarranted and the admission of the Chan
oelIor that he did not read the contents of the
interview before publication. but that he still
takes entire responsibility therefor is regarded
as placing the high officials of the Foreign Oh
fee in an unfavorable light, showing that they
were fully cognizant of the contents OF the
manuscript and that their approval made It's
publication a government act
Emperor William had tea this afternoon with
Chancellor Won Bulow at the princes residence
and remained in conference with the prince
from 5:15 until TAO o'clock.
noent gives the following explanation OF the
circumstances of the publication of the inter
view:
When Chancellor Won Bulow received the
manuscript from the Emperor. asking II he re-
earded It as suitable for publication, the Chan-
celor forwarded the article TO the Foreign once
with instructions that ii be carefully read ana
returned to him with report whether 1t prop
erly could be published. Both Herr Won Schoen,
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and the head OF
the press bureau were absent The manuscript
was then handed to a diplomat, VINO supposed
that publication had already been decided upon
and that his duty was only to examine into the
historical accuracy of the data contained therein
He returned the manuscript To .Norderney Whefe
the Chancellor was staying, but the latter sec
retarfes failed to draw his attention TO the
serious character of the matter. In consequence,
the article came back into the hands OF the Eng
lshman with the remark that the Emperor d q
not object TO its publication. me chancellor
NC greatly astonished however, when he read
the article as published in THE London Daily
Telegraph.
The "Lsokal Anzeiger' adds that during the
visit of the Emperor to Prince Won Btlow this
afternoon he was particularly friendly TO the
chancellor and that no doubt can exist that the
incident has in no wise disturbed the relations
between the Emperor and the Chancellor.
According 10 a dispatch sent 10 the "Koinische
Zeitung' by its Berlin correspondent, the prof
fered resignation of Chancellor Won BuloW was
due entirely to blunders made oy MS suoordl-
mates in handling an important COMMUNICATION
from the Emperor. The dispatch says that the
chancellor was most painfully impressed when
he read the article, and Immediately decided
that it was his duty TO make fuli explanation
= his ma iesty regarding the way in which the
mistake occurred. and at the same time hand IN
his resignation. 1t appears. however, that the
subject matter of the published lneerNleW hao
nothing to do With the resignation
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