New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-18
Purely a Business Prop
ositiOn with Britain,
He Declares.
FORCED TO SUPPORT
BROTHERS IN AUSTRIA
eve Shall Conquer Unholy Ali
ance," Official Tells Joseph
MedilI Patterson.
isv JOSEPH MEDILL PATTERSON,

IBy JOSEPH MEDILL PATTERSON
Special Correspondent Of The Tribunel
Berlin. Aug. 26.-The following re-
markable authorized interview vas
granted to-day by the German Foreign
Ofice-comparable to the State Depart
ment in Washington-to your corre-
spondent.
- heinterview was held directly with
Baron Mumm. adviser TO the Gernisn
Foreign Office in American, Chinese and
Japanese affairs.
Baron Mumm, who speaks English
Auently, was secretary of the legation
in Washington 1882 and Minister
pro TEN. to the United States in 1899.
He was Minister to China 1900-'O6, In
the six difficult and critical years sue
ceeding the Boxer rebellion, and Am
bassador to Japan 19O6-1l.
When the interview was completed
it was typewritten and submitted to the
German Foreign Office for approval,
This approval was very hard to get. In
fact. the German Foreign Office at first
entirely disapproved of, the article,
rather on account of its manner than
because Of its substance, which it was
acknowledged had been faithfully in
terpreted.
But the way in which the interview
was written. in American newspaper
style, caused some of the older Secre-
taries of State. accustomed to the for
nal phraseology of less hurried and
more dignifed days, to gasp.
However. Baron Mumm, with his
deeper knowledge of how things are
done, written and said in the United
States, persuaded his cOnfreres that
the infor Lality of the conversation as
reported would, if anything, cause it to
be more widely read in America.
On that plea the Foreign Office finally
and in considerable perplexity assented
to the interview, stamped it with the
official stamp and it appears herewith.
One-Sided Stories in L. S.
| first explained to Baron Mumm
that the American public had so far
heard little but the Anglo-French side
of the catastrophe now taking place in
Europe, owing to the control by those
Governments of the Atlantic cables to
the United States, the control by the
Russian and japanese governments of
the Pacific cables to the United States
and the practical stopping of mail from
Germany.
The answer was that the German
government understood this situation
perfectly and regretted it greatly, be-
cause it was it's wish to have the entire
facts in the matter laid freely before
the American public.
Baron Mumm continued that the Ger
man government realized that the i'm
preston had been spread in America
that Germany and the German En-
neror had wished for this worldwide
war. provoked it and precipitated it.,
whereas Germany had made every pos
sible effort, first, to keep Russia from
fighting Austria; second, to keep
France neutral in the event of Russo
German war; third, to keep England
neutral in the event Germany found
itself forced to fight at two frontiers,
and fourth h-obviously-it hoped that
the Japanese would be able 20 restrain
themselves from the raid on kiao-
Chou, in China.
Germany is not insane" declare !
Baron Mumm vigorously, "and unless
you think US insane how can you be-
lieye that we wished to fight the world
lust for the fun OF it? No, the Em-
peror's quarter century Of peace gives
the lie to that impossible conception.
Russia fought US because we are the
OUTPOST of the West and she is the out
Continued on page ), column