Evening star., 1915-01-04
Imperial Chancellor Speaks
Confidently of Germany's
Triumph Over Foes.
IS UNABLE TO PREDICT
DURATION OF THE WAR
Expresses Friendly Sentiment To-
ward United States and Com
mends Relief Work in Belgium.
c,rrcsnondonce of the Associated Press.

| Correspondence of the Associated Press.
BERLIN, December 1.-THE imperial
/ chancellor, Dr. Won Bethmann-Ho
| veg, received a correspondent of the
| Associated Press today and spoke
| openly on the Belgian relief situation,
| the question of contraband, the way IN
| which. industrial Germany has adapted
| herself to war conditions, the sentl-
ment of Germany toward her enemies
and toward America and on the respon-
| sibility for. the war, which he attr1o-
utes to Great Britain. II did not want
this war" was one of his phrases, CIV
1 en- with striking emphasis. We Ger-
mans do noe cherish hate" was another
| occurring In discussion or the atli-
tude of the Germans toward the French
soldiers and people.
| -Four months and a half of war nave
| not passed lightly over the chancelioi; =;
| In his uniform of lieutenant genera
with grizZled, close-cropped beard anu
iron crosses. first and second classes, ne
seemed much older than the scnoiaily,
| frock-coated statesman OF reichstag
debates. Face and eyes showed SIGNS
of the strain of the past few montns'
Confident of Victory.
He spoke with confidence of ultimate
pressive shrug of the shoulders was
his answer to a query as to the possible
duration of the war. The chancellor
had only that afternoon received word
that his son, a young cavalry lleuten-
ant had been badly wounded ana cap .
tured in Poland by the Russians. "
this he made no mention when stating
that the situation on the eastern lroh'
appeared to be very favorable.
mt
ception' room of the historic chancellor
mansion in the Wilhelm Strasse:
around which cluster memories ,ed o5
Buelow. A portrait of the emperor
with his two elder grandchildren, IN
scribed with words of warm apprecld-
ton, stood on the table; on anolaer
table were a number Of signed por.
traits, including those of Duke Ernst
August of Brunswick and Princess
AUGUST Wilhelm, and. in the anteroom
hung a life-sized painting OF .he VIC eh
has now accepted office under his sue
cessor as ambassador to Italy.
The conversation turned first to news
conditions and the difficulties OF pre-
senting the German side OF the sltua-
ton to American readers. The chan
cellor regretted that owing TO the
British and French censorship ana con-
troll of the, cables the, slv German ,porne nrae
sented in the United States. He felt
this to be a great injustice.
"Since the English have the possl-
selves and their allies out" he asked.
"why should they object to letting a
little truth out, about Germany?
Full Reports Promised.
I'VE shall" remarked the chancellor,
shortly. issue full reports of the ear
lier battles and, for example, the battle
of Tannenberg, that on the Masur1an
lakes and the battle on the Marne.
To a remark on how little was known
abroad concerning Tannenberg. he re-
joined quickly: 'One Of the greatest
| battles in history. One OF the great
est? The greatest, l should say. :,
| .Is there any truth, your eAceilency,
he was asked, "in the intimatlonS that
Germany is hamperlng the Shipment or
provisions to the population OF Bel
gjum, and what is the attitude OF your
| government toward the American rellef
work for the Belg1anS!
.On the contrary, we are doing every
| thing we can to assist it and are giving
of our own supplies" he said. We are
very grateful to the Americans Tor 1t.
We are very sorry for the Belgians. As
| to our attitude on the question of Bel
| gian neutrality l have spoken at length
in the reichstag. You have seen the
documents published in the North Ger
man (1dIStIe, WHICH SuO" LudL oStSIuul
had abandoned its own neutrality, and
that England and France had arranged
to violate Belgian neutrality long be-
fore the war.
AS to the British interpre tation of
ontraband, the chancellor maintained
that Great Britain had been directing
her contraband regulations not so much
at absolute contraband in war mate
rails as at raw stuffs for the German
| industries and at provisions with the
idea Of starving out and running Ger
many economically. But Germany was
prepared, he said, to meet the situa-
| tion.
You have been here and have seen
conditions he continued I'VE have
enough. We can get along. Copper, oil,
| rubber--we shall have enough of all. The
British restrictions on trade are hurting
the neutral states more than they are
Germany. They have affected the United
States, have they not? One of the re-
markable features of the war has been
the adaptability of German industries
You have seen the way in which she has
| been readjusting her industries from
peace purposes to those of war. Oh, we
have enough" he repeated, in dsmissing
| the subject.