The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-20
TEUTON CHANCELLOR RETRACES E FEN TS
 LEADING UP TO WAR
(Continued From Page One.)


 victorious. while her enemies, innocent and peaceful, were unprepared."
 The chancellor recalled newspaper ar ticles published in the spring of 1914, at what he said was the instigation of Russian war ministers, in which it was declared that Russia was completely prepared for war He recalled also the proud language" used for years by France in connection with what he said Twas Frances demand that Russia should use for strategical purposes a large part of the money loaned her. and the words of Sir Edward Grey in the British Parliament stating that in the event of war Great Britain's war prep aratons would enable her to protect commerce to and from her shores. and Sir Edwards quoted declarations: If we are engaged in war we shall suffer but little more than we shall suffer if we stand aside
 Quotes From Grey
 The chancellor quoted the words which he declared Sir Edward Grey spoke to the German ambassador in London when the latter took leave of the British foreign minister after the beginning of the war in August, 1914. sir Edward Grey" said the chancel- lor emphasizing his words, said that war between the two countries would make it possible that at the conclusion of peace he could render us more va1ua- 5le service than had England remained neutral"
 The chancellor explained that he in- terpreted these words to mean that England desired the friendship of a beaten and weakened Germany as a counter influence against powerful Rus sia. England would be ready to use such Germany--a weak country with out industry and without a navy.
 The chancellor's report of this scene in London caused a profound sensation in the Reichstag.
 The chancellor arraigned what he de- clared was the English pretense that Great Britain was fighting in the in terests of small neutral countries.
 "The legitimate commerce of ne utral countries" he said has been strangled by England. who forbids neutrals to transport merchandise coming from or going to Germany, even If the merchan- disc is not contraband.
 Occupied Islands
 "Neutras ships are forced to take English crews on board on the high seas and do as they command. England occupied Greek islands without ex- planation because this Is convenient for the liberty of the military operations of herself and hervallies. She tried. to- gether with her allies, to force neutral Greece to concede territory to Bulgaria because thus she desires to engage the latter nation on her side.
 Tn Poland, Russia, fighting together with her allies for the liberty of nations, destroys before the retreat of her armies the whole country evacuated, burns will lages. despoils harvests, expels the entire population of villages and cities, Chris tians and Jews alike, turning them into desert countries and let them perish in the dirt of Russian roads or in tightly closed railroad cars without windows.
 This is the liberty; this Is the civil ization for which our enemies are fight ing
 The chancellor enumerated all the cases. where he asserted England had violated the rights of small nations. citing the Boer republics. Egypt and Persia. This, he said, was the same England which in 1914 declined German guarantee Of Belgian integrity in case of Engla and'n neutrality. replying that she could not traffic in Belgian neutrality.
 Sums Up Speech
 The chancellor summed up this phase of his speech in these words:
 "A country whose policy was and is such has no right to accuse of war-lust or barbarism or of desire for conquest country that protected European peace for A years; a country that only lived for peaceful evolution while others went to war and conquered other countries; d country that now, menaced by half of the world. fights for it's own life. Such an accusa tion is hypocrisy
 Commenting on recently published doc uments declared to be secret reports of Belgian diplomats. the chancellor declared they proved that Germany had been at- tackled after long and careful preparation by others for war. He reviewed an at tempt to arrive at an understanding with England after the Moroccan crisis. stat ing that England had declined Germany's suggestion for an unconditional mutual but had offered to promise to make no attack upon Germany without provocation and had given assurances that England had entered into no engage