New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-27

her Odfh. ne olhcT Po"e4' " 'i' 49,
10 respect and 70 protect her heu-
,TaIitv Germany violated her oath. F..
England kept hers. These are the .
facts
"In the second part Of Che German .
Cborcellor's thesis. namely, that Ger.
many took her responsibilities toward
the neutral states seriously he al .
Irrr. nothing except THAI nc spoke
frankly of the wrong committed oy
Germany in invading Belgium. mat .
man knows the right while dong thc
wrong is not usually accepted as pI,oo,oI
OF his serious consclent BUSINESS ne
toaI nature of Gcrmauy's We" or ne.
.resroneibilities toward the neutrai
.tatcs' may. however, be learned: on
authority which cannot be disputed DIV
reference % the English Nhlte faper'
eff those responsibilities were III
f-uth taken seriously, why. "hcn Yer
many was asked TO respect the heu
tIaI.tv of Belgium n II were respected
h. France. did Germany refuse
France. when asked the correspondIn ny
question 40 the same time, agreed.
This would have guaranteed Germany
from an danger Of attack through pe'
GUM. -oe,,.ol
was given by Herr Won Bethmann-hoh
weg's colleague. the German Forelgh
Secretary. Herr Won Jagow. IL may De
raraDhrascd I'm the well known gloss
NON Cbakespearc. Thrice is he armed
tbat hath his quarrel just. but four
tines he that gets his blow in fuSt
".Tbov mad TO advance into France.
aid Herr Won Jagow. by the quickest
and easiest way, so as TO be able 10
get we'll ahead with their operations
erd cndcavor 20 strike some decisive
, blow as early as possible.
"Gormauv's real attitude toward
Belgium was thus frankly given by the
German Foreign Secretary 90 the bfIt-
fen Ambassador. and the German
Cbarcollor. i'm his speech 20 the
Reicbstag. claimed the right to com
NIT "a wrong I'm virtue Of the military
necessity of hacking his way through
The treaty which forbade the wrong
was. bv comparison, mere scrap Vi
paper - .ho,o frs,
statements by the two German MIN
listers. All the apologies ana argu-
mcnts which have since been lorln-
coming are afterthoughts TO excuse
and explain away hagrant wrong
Moreover. all the attacks upon Urea,
Britain in regard 70 this matter ana
an talk about 'rcspons oultes to"aIu
neutral states come badly. rom the
man who on July % asked Great
pr;toi,, IA enter into n bargain to con
done the violation Of the neutrality
of Belgium. ..
"Tbc German Chancellor spoke TO
tho American correspondent OF his Ell
forte for years 20 bring about an un-
Outstanding between Eng and and Ger
MANY An understanding. ne added
which would have absolutely guarah-
tecd the peace Of Europe -,
"TTe omitted 20 mention what MT.
Aequifh made public IN his speech az
Cardiff that Germany required as tme
nrice Of an understanding an uncondi-
tional pledge Of Englant's neutrality
The British government we're ready 10
bind themselves not 20 be parties 10
any aggression against Germany. lhey
wc~o not prepared 20 pledge their neu-
trality I'm case Of aggression by Ter
many.
Germany Sought Free Hand.
can Arclo-German understanding on
the latter terms would not have meant
an absolute guarantee for the peace OF
Fu~orc. but 10 would have meant an
absolutely free hand for Germany. so
far as England was concerned. Tor Ger
many 90 break the peace Of Europe
"Thc Chancellor says that ~ his con
versation with the British Ambassador
I'm August last he may have been a bit
excited ~ seeing the hopes and work
of the whole period Of his Chancellor
shin going for uaught.' Considering
that nj the date of the conversation.
August 4. Germany had already made
war ON France the natural conclusion
is that the shiuwreck Of the Charcel-
lor's hopes consisted not in p European
war. but in the fact that England had
not agreed 10 stand out Of IL.
"The sincerity OF the German Chan
cell1r's professions 10 the American
corresrondent may be brought - a
very simple test. the application Of
which is more opposite because lt
serves TO recall one of the leading facts
which produced the present war. Herr
Won BGhmann-liollweg refused the
proposal which England put forward,
and in which France, Italy and Russia
concurred. for a conference az which
the dispute would have been settled on
fair and honorable terms without war
IF he really wished 20 work with
England for peace. why did he not ac-
ccnt that proposal lie must have
known after the Balkan conference in
London that England could be trusted
90 plaY fair Herr Won Jagow had
given testimony in the Reichstag 20
England good faith i'm those negotia-
tons.
"The proposal for the second con
ference between the powers was made
by Sir Edward Grey with the same
straightforward desire for peace as in
1912 and 1913. The German Chancellor
rejected this means OF averting the
war. lie who does not will 'hc means
must NOT complain II the conclusion is
drawn that be- did not will the end.
"The sccol part OF the interview
with 900 American newspaper CORE
snonde1f consist. Of O discourse upon
the ethics OF the war. The things
which Germany has done in Belgium
ard France have been placed on record
By those who have suffered from them
sud who know them 90 first hand.
After this il does not lie with the Ger
man Chancellor 20 read TO the other