Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-16
CITES GARRISON;
] DEFENDS KAISER
DR.. Dernburg Says War Secre-
tary Unconsciously Gave
German Reply to Critics.
ADMITS TREATY BROKEN
Declares Teutons Not Bound TO Inn
peril Nation by Observance of
= Old Convention.

ously has given in concise form Ger
many's answer to all the criticisms
directed against her 'militarism' and
indirectly has answered the question
about Belgian neutrality" said DR..
Bernhard Dernburg. former German
colonial minister. before a large audi
ence in Medinah temple.
This was the language of Secretary
Garrison referred TO:
Every nation must have adequate
force TO protect itself from domestic
insurrection. to enforce the laws and
20 repel invasion: that is. every ma
ton that has similar characteristics
TO those of a self-respecting man"
Discussing first the great Belgian
question" and later taking up criti-
cism of Germany. DR.. Dernburg said:
"Germany's treaty bound her in
honor not to violate the neutrality Of
Belgium. In fiat defiance of that
pledge she sent her forces through
the territory which, upon her honor,
she had promised not TO violate.
grant all that and express IT just as
would an enemy Of Germany.
u should be more exact, however.
and say Prussia promised these things.
for the pledge was made before the
German empire had been founded.
Prussia renewed in 1870 her engage
ment TO respect this neutrality. but
while much is made of this / would
call attention to the fact that this re-
newaI was made for only one year.
1T must be remembered there are
three stages of a treaty: Negotiation
by plenipotentiaries. ratification by
authority at home. then Interpretation.
This last is most important.
As TO Interpretation.
The Interpretation OF a treaty is
governed by a few elementary prin-
ciples universally recognized. One of
these is to the effect that no nation is
bound morally by the terms of an
agreement involving either a sacrifice
of its own existence or an abdication
of its sovereign function II is pre-
sumed that no great power will bind
Itself solemnly to commit suicide.
Gladstone himself in 1879 made
that very declaration, saying the par
ticular circumstances under which an
application of the treaty was to be
made make Interpretation of treaty
sufficiently elastic to avoid a strict let
ter. If such avoidance was to preserve
the power or its sovereignty.
Your own United States Supreme
court. deciding the constitutionality !
OF the Chinese exclusion act and its
possible conflict with treaties signed I
Several years before. ruled this way: I
Circumstances may arise which (
not only would justify the government /
IN disregarding their (the treatiesD !
stipulation, but might demand in the I
Interests OF the country that IL should 1
do So.
''Wanton disregard OF a nations /
faith would be intolerable, but no /
more so than disregard OF the plighted .
faith given by a ruler OF his nation.
Cites American Opinion.
There is a belief in America that
somehow France. a republic, and Eng
land. having institutions similar to
your own, stand for popular govern
ment, while Germany and Austria
Hungary. for some mysterious reason,
are withheld from realizing the wishes
Of the people.
= But German government is more
democratic than your own. The en-
peror has less power than your presi-
dent Both may repel foreign invas-
Ton. but neither may carry on a for
eign war until permitted by the con-
presses. Both have negative legislat-
i've powers. welded only by influence.
Both, just now, are working as repre-
sentatives of a minority. There never
has been a spectacle OF democracy
shown equal to that when the reich
stag asked Emperor William not to
express himself on Germany's public
policy. and when he agreed TO that in
junction. n
Much has been made of the per-
sonality Of the kaiser. II has been
said he speaks of my army. says he IS
emperor BY divine right. makes gran
dose, indiscreet. threatening speeches. 4
wants TO put Germany on top Of the
universe and sit on the sun.
Title BY Popular Vote.
The facts are that Emperor VIII
liam makes no pretensiOns whatever
as 20 the source OF his authority. He
knows that even the title emperor was
denied his predecessors and that the
title came to his grandfather in the
same way the title president came to
George Washington-by vote of the
people.
The phrase my army may sound
peculiar here, but IL doesn't in Eng
land. where II IS recognized only as a
form and where King George uses 1t.
Another cause OF prevailing Amerf-
can opinion IS the charge that Ger
many IS military and belligerent. The
facts are Germany spends $500. 100000
annually for military purposes and
England spends $3.50, 100000 Ger
many is surrounded by inimical DOW
ers and England by none.
Germany has been the cockpit for
European wars ever since history
began to record events II has suf- !