Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-04
SURE Of ULTIMATE
GERMAN VICTORY
Imperial Chancellor, DR.. Won
Bethrnann-H Hollweg, Discusses
Many Phases of War.
BLAME ON GREAT BRITAIN
Feeling of His Government and
People Is Friendly to
Americans.
BLAME ON GREAT BRITAIN
Correspondence Of Associated Press ]

Hollweg. to-day discussed frankly
with correspondent Of the Associated
Press the Belgian relief situation, the
contraband question. Industrial Ger
many'S adaptation TO wa conditions,
'icrmnny's sentiment toward her enc
mics and toward America. and the
question OF responsibility for the war,
which he attributes to Great Britain
did not want this war he said,
with striking emphasis. I'VE Ger
mans don't cherish hate"
-Four months and n half of war have
not passed lightly over the Chancellor
with grizZlcd. close-cropped beard and
clad In the uniform of lieutenant
general, he seemed much older than
the scholarly. frock- coated statesman
eyes show signs OF great strain.
He spoke with confidence Of ultimate
German victory. but "a weary. express
sive shrus Of the shoulders was his
answer to query as to the possible
duration of the war. He had only this
afternoon received word that his son.
young cavalry lieutenant had been
badly wounded and captured in Po-
land.
The conversation turned first to
news conditions. and difficulties OF pre-
senting the German viewpoint to
American readers owing to the British
and French control Of the cables This,
the Chancellor regretted He felt il
great injustice.
We SHALL remarked the Chancellor,
shortly Issue full reports of the car
Iler battles; for example, the battle of
Iannenberg that on the Masurian
Lakes and the battle on the Marne"
THINKS IT GREATEST
BATTLE IN HISTORY
To remark on how little was
known abroad concerning Tann.nberc
~ II xl,r. sn-a
est battles in history One of tho
greatest? The greatest, l should say"
is there any truth" he WAS asked
in intiinations that Germany is ham
pering shipment Of provisions to Bel
GUM. and what is the attitude of your
lief work.
We are doing everything We can to
assist it. and arc giving of our own
supplies" he said. I'VE are very
grateful to the Americans for it,
we are very sorry for the Belgians.
as to our attitude-of Belgian neutraI- :
ity, have spoken rat length in the
Reichstas. You have seen the docu-
ments published in the North German
Gazette, which show that Belgium had
abandoned Its own neutrality, and that
England and France had arranged 20
violate Belgian neutrality long before
the war"
40 " COntraDand inc Chancellor
maintained that British regulations had
been directed not so much ut absolute
contrabdnd I'm war materials as at raw
stufts FOR German industries and at
provisions with the idea Of starving
out and running Germany economically.
Germany. he added. was prepared to
meet the situation.
You have been here and have seen
conditions" he continued I'VE have
al
OIL, rubber-wc shall have enough OF
all British restrictions on trade are
hurting neutral states more than they
are Germany. They have affected the
United States, have they not?
One remarkable feature Of the war
mas been the adaptability of Germany
industries. You have seen the way in
which she has been readjusting her in
dustries from peace purposes to those
OF war. Oh, We have enough" he re-
peated. in dismissing the subject.
What about financing the war;"
There is no trouble about that You
have noticed how literally the first
war loan was subscribed, and il will
be the same with the next We shall
have funds enough to continue the war
TO the end"
And when does Your ExceIlencv
think that will be?"
shrug Of the shoulders and mo-
ments hesitation preceded the answer.
Impossible to say. I hope it will not
be long. We have good news from the
east front. The situation there is fa-
vora BILE"
The conversation then turned to the
sentiment OF the Germans toward the
various nations with which they are
at war The Chancellor said there
seemed to be very little ill-feeling to
ward The French. On the contrary.
tho men at the front get almost friend
iy with French soldiers opposite them.
But we Germans don't cherish
hate" he said. ITO hate is not a Ger
the Latin races"
Il didn't want this war" he contin-
ued. with emphasis. For the fvc
years that | have sat here" he said.
touching the desk before him, II have
labored steadily to develop a good un-
derstanding with England. In my
speeches in the Reichstag the other
day ] told of these efforts. But all
came to naught."
The Chancellor then went on to dis
crss his belief that the British govern
ment, by steadily encouraging the Rus
sian war party to expect ultimate
British support, had brought the war
nearer and nearer.
ENDS INTERVIEW WHEN
SUMMONED ny KAISER
AT this point Colonel Won Mutius.
the Emperor's aide camp, was an
nounced.
u am very sorry I cannot give YOU
moro time, but have been summoned
by the KAISER said the Chancellor.
Before going. however, he found time
to discuss the feeling in Germany to-
wards Americans.
There had been perhaps few in
cidents in which Americans had sur
fered annoyance, he Acknowledged
particularly in the earlier days OF the
war, and some Germans were not ouIc,,
10 realize that the language OF the
English also was spoken by 100, 600, 900
neutral Americans.
War is war;" he said, "and regret
table mistakes occasionally will occur.
But the feeling OF the government and
the people here is friendly to Amcri-
cans. and we hope they will understand
that they arc welcome guests"
Then referring briefly to charges of
brutality by German soldiers, he con-
cluded:
Our boys are not bad boys. They
don't do such things"