Evening star., 1916-05-07
British Minister COntrQdicts
Assertions in German Note
Lord Robert Cecil Asserts Right of England to
Shut off Trade With Teut0ns and Denies
That Unwarranted Cruelty Results

tween this statement and the present
appeal on behalf of starving women
and children. However, presuming that
the statement of the chancellor in the
reichstag was untrue, it is interesting
to recall the opinions of two former
German statesmen, Prince Bismarck
and Court Won Caprivi. as to the right
of belligerent to cut off supplies from
the enemy. In 1885, at the time when
his majesty's government were discuss
ing with the French government the
question of the right to declare food
stuffs not intended for the military
forces to be contraband. Prince Bis
marck made the following statement to
the kiel chamber of commerce.:
L reply to the chamber of COM
merce that any disadvantage our COM
merc1al and carrying interests may
suffer by the treatment of rice as con-
traband of war does not justify our
opposing measure which it has been
thought fit to take in carrying on a
foreign war. Every war is a calam-
lty which entails evil consequences, not
only on the combatants. but also on
neutrals The measure in question has
by Increasing the difficulties of the
enemy. and is justifiable step in war
II lmpartially enforced against all neu-
trail ships
I'm 1892 Count Caprivi made the
following remarks in the reichstae. in
the course of a discussion respecting
the question of international protec-
tlon Tor private property at sea:
country may be dependent for
ner 1000 or for her raw produce upon
ner trade. In fact, it may be absolutely
necessary to destroy an enemy's trade
me private Introduction of provisions
INTO Paris was prohibited during the
siege. and In the same way a nation
would be justified in preventing the
import of food and raw produce
Germans Assuming Too Far"
These older German authorities
were right. The truth is, all war is
| cruel. horrible. But those who have
drenched Europe in blood, who scatter
death and destruction among combat
ants and non-combatants by their Zen
pelin bombs and submarine torpedoes:
who, by their poisoned gas and high
explosive shells. have manned, tortured
and slain millions of the best and brav-
| sumng too far on the toleration Of
mankind. when they complain of such
| a comparatively humane method of
warfare as blockade.
or the German peace overtures. if
| such they are to be called / will saw
little. 1t was only in last December
| that the chancellor declared that we
believed 1t to be in our interests to
| attribute falsely to them peace pro-
posals. Yet the German government
now say that twice within the past few
months Germany has announced be-
fore the world her readiness to make
| peace. Which is the truth?
1T may be that the Germans want
peace. II SO it is because they fear
defeat 1t may be only that they want
to appear peaceful. For us it matters
not. Our attitude. at any rate, is un-
changed We drew the sword unwiIl-
ingly. We shall sheathe it gladly But
| we should be untrue to our trust. we
should be betraying civilization il we
abandoned our task until we have re-
| established in Europe the supremac CIV
of law, the sanity of treaties and the
right of all nations. great and small, to
| live their lives, to fulfil their des-
TIMES. free from the intolerable men
| ace of Prussian militarism."