Omaha daily bee., 1914-09-24
EMPEROR SOUGHT
PEACE" ---HOLLWEG
Chancellor Issues Appeal to Amer
leans to Believe War Brought
On by German Foes,
ENGLAND sPURNED THE CHANCE
Declares French IavasIou ThreRt-
ened, and, with Csur Hostile,
TeutOns Are Fighting for
Their Existence.
nv EDWIN EMERSON.

NCOnyF1Rnts 1917 Dy fTcsS PUBLISHING W.
BERLIN. Sept. 23.-Cspecial Csblegram
20 New York World and Omaha jee.)-
am sending herewith by mail -he ap-
peal to the American people. witch the
imperial chancellor, DR.. Won NBethmann-
Hollwee, at the behest IF the kaiser, gave
out tonight through the American en-
bassy.
The all too literal translation Is hastily
done, as / had to get it revised ut once
by the foreign chancellery N order to
catch the mail
/ am morally certain IL would never
get by tho British censor who. find.
has held up most of my cabegrams
from Germany.
Kaiser Sought 20 Avoid Wnr.
The text of the statement follows;
BY the imperial chancellor, Obald Won
Bethmann- Holweg: l do not know what
is thought in America about this war,
but assume that since its beginning, the
exchange of the notes between his
majesty, the emperor, and the car Of
Russia, and king OF England has been
made public This proves irrefutably that
our emperor strove up 70 the very last
moment to maintain peace. His efforts
were destined to remain futile because
Russia was determined TO have war at
all hazards, while England, which for
whole decade had been fomentins enmity
against the German nutionalship in
. Russia and France. though now she
found a splendid opportunity to prove
her oft-asserted desire for peace. when
the test came preferred &c let this chance
go by. Otherwise the war of our country
with France and England could have
been avoided.
England spurned Peace.
Once the official archives are opened
o the world will learn how often Germany
q put forth a hand OF friendship toward
England. But England wanted none OF
% Germany's friendship Jealous of Ger
manys development and feeling that tho
English we're being surpassed by Ger
man efficiency and German industry in
many fields, England, longed to over
throw Germany by sheer force of arms
lust as of yore she ground down Spain,
Holland and France. Accordingly Eng
land, thinking the proper time had come,
choose to make the German advance into
Belgium welcome preteXt for taking
part in the war.
Let Il be explained here that Ger
many was driven to this advance into
Belgium because we had to anticipate
the long planned French advance into
Belgium, for which the Belgians were
only waiting to make common cause with
France. That this was oMy a pretext for
England is proved by the fact that Sir
Edward Grey as early as the afternoon
of August 2, that Is, before Germany's
violation of Belgian neutrality. uncon-
ditionally promised the help OF England
TO the French ambassador at the court
of st. James in the case OF lombard
ment of the French coast by the German
navy.
britain Knows No scrupIes.
But the British policy knows no moral
scruples. And thus the English people.
which hss always posed as champion
of liberty and justice. has allied itself
with Russia the spokesman OF the worst
despotism, a country that knows no intel
loctual nor religious freedom and which
treads under foot the liberties of whole
peoples as we'll as of individuals. Already
England must begin to see that 1t has
made a miscalculatlon. since Germany
is winning the mastery over its foes.
Therefore England now tries to injure
Germany by the most petty means. strik-
ing at. our commerce and our colonies.
Regardless OF the inevitable fatal conse-
quences for the common civilization of
our white race. England has provoked
Japan to a predatory raid upon our coli
ony OF Kiao Chow in China and has led
the negroes Of Africa TO battle against
the Germans In our colonies there.
Hes Told About Belgium.
AFTER destroying German means OF
telegraphic communication across the
seas England went further and opened
an all around campaign Of lies. Thus you
Americans are told that German troops
- have burned down Belgian villages and
cities. but you are not told that Belgian
women gouged out the eyes Of our help