New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-04
Germany's Case Not Helped by
Bethmann-Hollweg's Arguments.

Chancellor Won Bethmann-Hollwegs latest "u-
dress to the Reichstag was failure, so far as II
was intended to set Germany right in the eyes
Of the outside world Germans are especially
anxious TO avoid two reproaches Ihey want 10
clear themselves of the charge that their govern
ment brought on the present war by pledglng
Austria Hungary free hand in dealing with
Servia. They are also casting about 1or some
excuse for having broken the treaty which bound
them TO respect and maintain the neutrality OF
Belgium.
The Chancellor echoed the general cry that this
is war of defence, forced upon Germany. One
of the most attractive forms of that plea was
offered by the Prussian Crown Prince In recent
interview in which he said: mo power on eartn
will ever be able TO convince our people that TINS
war was not engineered solely and wholly with
view to crushing the German people, their gov
ernment their institutions and all that they hold
deaf" The Crown Prince also spoke Of the iron
ring of enemies" which was closing about the
Fatherland and threatening its existence.
That state of mind is due to the fact that IN
recent wears Germans have realized with bitter
ness of spirit that the empire had become dlplo-
matically isolated. The Triple Entente was
brought into being by Germanys attempts 10
continue TO exercise the dominating influence IN
Euronean politics which she had acquired In Bis
marck's time. The breaking of the Berlin Treaty
in Austria Hungarys interest drove Great Brit
ain into a friendly association with Russia and
France. and when that association cemented
Germany suddenly discovered that she was more
or less outweighed in the European concert.
After Agadir and Italy's Irritation with the
Entente powers il was clear that Germany could
NOT maintain her aggressive diplomatic policies
without running the risk of precipitating Euro
mean war. Germany was willing to go to war TO
maintain her prestge-"her place in the sum- as
Won Biilow called it-and that is really what Ger
mans mean when they say that they have been
driven to fight in defence of their culture, their
institutions and "all that they hold dear 1t was
not sense of imperiled nationality but merely
national ambition which compelled them.
Won Bethmann-Hollweg went far beyond this
line of argument, however, when he tried to show
that Russia and Great Britain precipitated the
war. He said that the London Cabinet could have
made the war impossible if it had announced IN
st. Petersburg that Great Britain would not allow
a Continental war to develop from the Austro-
Servian conflict. Yet Germany could much more
readily have made the war impossible by declar-
ing in Vienna that she would not back Austria
Hungary in letting quarrel with Servia develop
into Continental struggle. Austria-Hungary
took the first step toward general hostiities, and
Germany declined to hold her ally back because
she feared that such action would be considered
as another diplomatic victory for the Triple En-
tente. Germany could have avoided war if she
had wished TO do so, since the powers of the
Triple Entente were satisfied that it was to their
interest to keep the peace and prolong the status
ouo 1t is an absolute distortion of the facts to
ssv that Russia. France and Great Britain, what
ever their general attitude toward Germany may
have been. maneuvred to bring about the present
conflict.
On the violation of Belgian neutrality the
Chancellor was equally unconvinclng. lie tried
70 retract his confession of last August that IN
invading Belgium Germany was faithlest to her
treaty obligations. Now he says that Belgium mad
made arrangements for British support IN case
her neutrality should be violated by Germany
But why shouldn't the Belgian government have
made such arrangements? If Belgium had
feared France and asked pledges Of German sup
mort in case of French invasion the Kaiser
would have been bound in honor to offer the aid
of his army and navy. Germany's ruthless ana
disloyal treatment Of Belgium is crime whlcA
can never be explained away. Mr. Won Beth-
mann-Hollweg would better have stood on MS
original avowal that Germany was driven to that
crime by the brutal dictates of military necessity