Evening star., 1914-12-03
For Emperor and Army.

In his address to the members of the
chamber, DR.. Won Bethmann- -HoIweg
said:
The emperor is absent with the army,
but he has charged me to transmit his
best wishes and cordial greetings to
the German house Of representatives,
with whom he knows he is united until
death. in stress of danger, in common
concert for the veal of the fatherland
Our first thoughts go to the en-
peror and the army and navy, who are
lighting for the honor and greatness of
the empire. Full OF pride and with
unshakable confidence, we look on
them and our Austro-Hun garian COM
rades-in-arms.' who are firmly united
to us, to fight and to win great battles
with brilliant bravery.
Our latest ally in the war forced
upon US is the Ottoman empire, which
well knows that if the German empire
were destroyed it, too, would lose Its
national right to arrange its own des-
tiny. AS our enemies have formed
powerful coalition against us. they will.
I hope, find that the arm of our brave
allies reaches the weak spots in their
world positions"
The imperial chancellor said that
since the reichstag had expressed the
firm resolution of the whole people to
undertake the war great deeds had
been accomplished and the incompara-
Bile gallantry of the German troops had
carried the war into the enemys
country.
There we will stand firm" declared
the chancellor, and can regard the
future with every confidence But the
enemy's resistance is rot broken. We
are not yet at the end OF our sacrifices
The nation will continue to support
these sacrifices with the same heroism
as hItheNtO, for We must and Will night
TO a successful end our defensive war
for right and for freedom. We will
then remember how our defenseless
compatriots in hostile countries were
maltreated, in a manner which is a dis
grace TO civilization The world must
learn that none can hurt hair on the
head of a German subject with i'm
punity.
1T is evident TO us who is RESPONSE
BILE for this greatest of all wars The
apparent responsibility falls on those
in Russia who ordered and executed
the mobilization of the Russian army.
the real responsibility falls on the Brit
tsh government. The cabinet at Lon
don could have made the war impos-
sible If 1t had declared st st. Peters,
burg that England woule not allow
continental war to develop from the
Austro-Seryian conflict.
such declaration would have oblig-
ed France energetically to restrain
Russia from undertaking warlike meas
ures. Then our action as mediator be-
tween ST. Petersburg and Vienna would
have been successful.
England was aware of the be1licose
'-"Nt7a tions on the part of an ire
BpOuSADlt pul 6iO-p ABOUT tNt
i,..asIan emperor. England saw how the
wheel was rolling. but placed no obsta-
cie in its path. Despite all assurance of
peace. London informed St. Petersburg
that England was on the siGe Of France
and consequently on the side of Russia.
Destruction of Competitor
The cabinet at London allowed
monstrous world war. hoping. with the
help Of the entente. to destroy the VI
tality of its greatest European compet-
itor in the markets of the world.
Therefore England and Russia have
before God and man the responsibility
for the catastrophe which fell upon Eu-
rope.
"Englands pretended defense of Bel
gium's neutrality was nothing but a
pretext We notified Belgium that the
necessities of self-defense would COM
pei US to march through Belgium on the
evening of August 2, but already. on
before anything of any demarche at
Brussels could have been known to
London, the British government had
promised France unconditional assist
ance in case the German Meet should
attack the French coast
Nothing was said about Belgian neu-
trality. How can England contend that
she drew the sword because We vio-
d lated Belgian neutrality!
The chancellor elaborated this theme
at some length and declared documents
found in Brussels established that Bel
eium had surrendered her neutrality to
England and he argued that when the
German troops entered Belgium they
were on the territory of a state that
had long ago given up its neutrality
and that therefore England had de
clared war on Germany not for the
sake of Belgian neutrality. but because
She believed she would be able to mas.