Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-27

| oordlng TO Herr Won Bethmann- tIoll- |
weg's code wrong becomes right If the
| party which is to be the subject OIL
| the wrong foroseos the possibility and
makes preparations to resist IL.
Those who are content with older
aud more generally accepted stand
| ards are likely TO agrce rather with
what Cardinal MERCER said In his pas
toral letter Belgium was bound IN
honor Co defend her own indcpend-
| ence She kept her oath. The other
! powers We're bound TO respect and TO
| protect her neutrality Germany vio-
lated her oath, England kept hers
! These are facts
| Admits Committing Wrong.
In the second part of the chan
| cellor's thesis, namely, that Germany
took her responsibilities toward the
! neutral states seriously, he alleges
nothing except that he spoke frankly
| OF the wrong committed by Germany
7 IN invading Belgium
! 'rhat man knows the right while
/ doing the wrong Is not usually accept
! ed as proof OF his serious conscien-
/ tiousness The real nature of Ger
/ many's view of her responsibilities
I toward the neutral states may. how
ever. be learned on authority which
cannot he disputed by reference To
| the English white paper
III those responsibilities we're In
I truth taken seriously why, when Ger
many WAS asked to respect the mott
/ trality OF Belgium If II were respected
| by France, did Germany refuse
France, whom asked the corresponding
question at the same time, agreed
| This would have guaranteed Germany
from an danger OF attack through
Belgium.
Quotes Words of Non Jagow.
The reason OF Germany's refusal
/ was given by Herr Won Bethmann-
/ Hullweg'H colleague tthe German for
| eign secretary. Herr Won Jagow) II
may be Photographed In the wei
| known gloss upon Shakespeare.
/ Thrice Is he armed that hath his
quarrel just, but four times he that
gets his blow In fust
'rhey had to advance into France,
said Herr Won Jagow, by the quickest
\ and easiest way 40 as to be able to get
we'll ahead with their operation and
| endeavor to strike some decisive blow
as early as possible
"Germanys real attitude towards
I Belgium was thus frankly given by
I the German foreign secretary To the
British ambassador, and the German
chancellor, In his speech to the reich
stag claimed the right to commit a
wrong IN virtue of the military nee
essity of hacking his way through.
The treaty which forbade the WRONG
was by comparison a mere scrap OF
paper.
aThe truth was spoken IN these
first statements by the two German
ministers. All the apologies and ar
guments which have since been forth
coming. are afterthoughts to excuse
and explain away "A fragrant wrong.
/ Moreover all the attacks upon Great
Britain In regard to this matter and
all talk about responsibilities towards
neutral states come badly from the
man who. on July 30, asked Great
britain to enter into a bargain Go cen
done the violation OF the neutrality
OF Belgium.
Words To Correspondent.
THE German chancellor spoke 70
the American correspondent of mis-
efforts for years 70 bring about AZ
understanding between England and
Germany an understanding, he add
ed, which would have absolutely
guaranteed the peace of Europe,
'He omitted to mention what Mr..
!
| Cardiff that Germany required as the
price of an understanding an uneon-
| dltional pledge Of Englands neutral
I ity.
"The British government were
ready TO bind themselves not to he
parties To any aggression against Ger
many They were not prepared to
pledge their neutrality In case OF ag-
gression by Germany
IAN Anglo-German understanding
on the latter terms would not have
meant an absolute guarantee for the
peace of Europe, but II would have
meant an absolutely free hand for
Germany so far as England was con-
oerned, for Germany to break the
peace of Europe.
'"rho chancellor says that In his
conversation with the British ambus- /
sador In August last he may have /
been a bit excited at seeing the hopes |
aud work Of the whole period of ms
chancellorship going for nWight !
Considering that at the date of the |
conversation August 4, Germany had /
already made war on France, the ma !
tural conclusion Is that the ship |
wreck Of the chancellors hopes con-
sisted not in a European war nut ~ |
the fact that England had not agreel |
to stand out of IL.
"The sincerity OF the German choh- |
cellors professions 20 the American |
correspondent may be brought to a !
very simple test
Herr Won Bethmann-lf0llweg re-
fused the proposal which England put |
forward and In which France, Italy |
and Russia coucurrcd, for confer
ence at which the dispute would have
been settled on fair and honorable |
terms without war. If he really WISH
ed TO work with England for peace
why did he not accept that proposalY |
lie must have known after tho Bal
kan conference In London that Eng
land could be trusted Go play fair,
Herr Won Jagow had given testimony
IN the reiChstag 70 England's good
faith In those negotiations,
"Ihc proposal for the second com |
ference between the powers was made
by Sir Edward Grey with the same
straightforward desire for peace as
in 1919 and 1919. The German chan
cellor rejected this means of averting
the war. lie who does not VIII the
means. must not complain If the con-
clusion is drawn that he did not Will
the end
The second part of the interview
with an American newspaper corra-
spondent consists Of a discourse upon
the ethics of the war The things
which Germany has done in Belgium
aud France have been placed on rec
ord by those who have suffered from
them and who know them at first
hand. After this IL does not lie with
the German chancellor TO read to the
other belligerents q lecture upon The ,
u Al.