South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-08
BRITISH MINISTER
IN SHARP ANSWER.
Lord Robert Cecil Declares
Britain Has No Faith in
Germany'S Promises.

LONDON, April s.-Lord Robert
Cecil, minister o. war trade. made
q sharp reply tonight TO the speech
in the reichstag OF DR.. Won Beth
-Houweg. the German imperial
chancellor. Conversing with Amer
lean correspondents on behalf OF
abandon her submarine warfare if
the foreign Office, Lord Robert said
the suggestion that Germany might
Great Britain relaxed her food
blockade. was hardly likely to be
entertained by Great Britain, which
had no faith that any promise
made by Germany regarding sub
marine warfare would be kept.
Reviewing the address of DR.. Won
-Hollweg, Lord Robert
said:
The chancellors speech covers
much Of old ground. AS usual. he
claims that the allies have no legal
right 20 blockade Germany, and ap-
pears 70 think the neutrals are OF
the same opinion. Yet among all
the neutral governments who have
protested against our action, none
has been found to argue that the
blockade is in itself illegal precisely
in the proportion in which Il is
effective"
Referring 10 DR.. Won Bethmann-
Hollwegs statement that Great Brit
ain alone is responsib BILE for the con-
tinuation of the war, and that he
made proposals last September to
which he had received no reply,
Lord Robert said:
Want insurgency.
1T may be well TO make a clear
answer to this. BY singing out
the chancellor endeavors to sow
mischief and distrust among them,
but he has failed. The allies stand
together and have pledged them
selves TO make peace in common.
The chancellor knows this we'll He
knows, too, and the people of Ger
many whom he deludes should
know. that nothing in any public
speech he makes can ever form the
OASIS Oh peace ON6l llil CO.
These periodical speeches in the
reichstag are cunning blends Of bonn
bast and peaceful protestations.
Through them all runs the DELHI
crate design to nourish German
hatred of England above all her
allies, TO bolster the fiction that the
German government is fighting a
defensive war and TO fOrestau and
prevent that which the German gov.
eminent most fears-a popular de-
mand in Germany for peace. Never
can the allies dignity this attitude
by taking it as an overture. The
char ellor made his so-called pro-
posals last year solely that he might
be able to refer to them virtuOusly
today.
SCOTS At Idea.
so Germany and Austria are to
solve the problem of Poland! a
truly comfortable prospect for the
Poles. IL Germany wants Suwalki,
there will be no dearth Of German
pressure to prove that it is Lithua-
nian and not Polish. Poland is to
go free but not for the Poles, for
their country is reserved for the
noble function of a buffer between
Germany and Russia, delicately col
onized by Germans.
And Belgium, There is TO be a
new Belgium! Listen 10 the chan
cellor. setting the Belgians free by
oratory, after they for months have
refused to be set free by the mild
rule of the German.
ITO such peace proposals there
is only one answer We refuse. We
are fighting for the old Belgium.
That which has been broken shall
be restored, and with the nation and
government who broke it we shall
never have peace so long as they
have the effrOntery to claim the
right Of playing Providence with the
pieces.
HAS not the world made up its
mind where the responsi bility for
starting the war rests? Upon the
allies, whose forces were not ready
for offense or upon Germany who
had planned in advance the viola
ton Of Belgium Now Germany
says she wishes an end 10 the hos
tilities? Is it because she loves
peace? No, because her early hopes
Of victory are dwindling, and she
wishes 10 draw full advantage from
her past successes, and be in q posi-
ton after the war still TO dominate
the continent with the threat OF her
formidable military machine.
What 1t Means.
What would such a peace mean ?
1t would mean the triumph Of the
German idea Of international moral
ity, the triumph Of the system which
regards treaties as scraps OF paper
and finds everything permissible in
war, provided only IL is successful.
do not make any mistake Ger
laanv is unchanged. We have still
10 deal with the same Prussianized
power. Zeppelins still creep by night
over the peaceful country and drop
bombs on women and children; sub
marines still Turk in the depths of
the sea and send 10 the bottom un-
armed merchant vessels. neutral or
belligerent. with all their non-com-
blatant passengers and crews Their
methods Of warfare remain ruthless
and inhuman. just as fGlsehoods and
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