Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-08-03
England Fighting For Economic
Reasons, France For Re-
venge and Russia For
Territory, Claim.
is CONFIDENT OF OUTCOME
German War Office Charges
That Policy Of Entente Will
Be Detrimental to Neu-
trail Powers.

Berlin, July STRENGTHENING the po-
It!cai events of the second year of the
war, the German foreign office has
given the Associated Press the follow
Ing statement:
Unlike the military situation, it is
not easy to review briefly the develops
ments in the confused paths of politi-
cal events, but an attempt will be made
In the following statement to trace the
leading IDEAS connected with the po-
litical problems OF the second year of
the war.
The world war was caused by Rus
sia'S aggressive policy, supported by
Frances policy OF revenge. But it was
rendered possible solely by the fact that
England subordinated to her economic
a~ntagonism to Germany all her other
interests. Whereas. Germany's enemies
regard 1t quite III order that they de-
mand territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at
the cost Of others-like Russia, who
wants Constantinople and Galicia: like
France, who desires .Alsace-Lorraine
and the left bank of the Rhine: and
like Italy, who seeks Austrian territory
they gfuage Germany. even though
she strive to develop her self eco
nomically in peaceable competition, and
they pronounce this an objectionable
sin against the worlds order of things.
Seek World Mastery.
They are unwilling that Germany
should become great and strong, be-
cause the other powers want to be the
e%ccLonlic masters of the world. Terri
torial and economic ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
has united Germany's foes in a war Of
destruction against us.
"F1e second war year, whose end ls
~ n.y. ~ N ,r,y. hoe lrA,, HI tt,n.. ty,1a
aims OF our opponents into clearer
light. In Russia this Is openly admit
ted, they having an understanding with
England. II want ~Constantinople as
their war goal. In France there is a
war mad cry for Lorraine.
In England, too the mask has deen
dropped. 1t is openly admitted that gel
GUM was only a preteNt to Justify Eng
lands participation in the war which
was undertaken only from self interest
Germany must be destroyed, Ger
many shall never more raise her head
economically nor militarily. In this way
is the goal of our enemy more clearly
enunciaiei during tSc second wear Of
the war.
Democracy VS.. MiIitarism.
III is equally clear chat the talk IF
a struggle OF democracy against mill
tarisnl is only q catch word used by our
enemies to create sentiment and 10
cloak ~outWardly their aal purpose of
obstruction. Assuredly they can not talk
of y struggle fer the maintenance Of
democratic principles when one side
sets 0ut to destroy the enemy COMPLETES
~, including their civilian population.
and is England really the land OF
democracy she pretends to be? Has not
the entire development Of England dur,
Ing the war shown that England is
drawing further than ever away from
democracy?
"Moreover, If England had really re-
sorted to war in defense of the rights of
the smaller nations as she fondly an
nouncaS to the world she could without
danger to her position have answered
otherwise than with the threat of de-
atIoying Germany.
Chancellor Won iicthmann'S remarks
made in the course of the year outlined
German aims with sufficient c~learness
England therefore, wants Il war Of de-
~struction, a war to the knife, which,
according to the plans of our enemies,
shah continue even after the cannon is
silenced; fO. their former talk about the
permanent peace that they wished to
establish has been drowned under the
shout that Germany's enemies are rails
Ing over the Paris economic conference.
Economic Warfare.
y, is not enough that the world must
be shaken by a p~rotracted bloody war.
The world must not wen thereafter en-
Joy a settled peace, if the will of the
entcnt poewers prevails for the deci-
SionS OF the economic conference do not
signify az economic peace, but 2 per-
manent economic warfare, which never
will permit the world to come to rest
upon the basis of peaceful competition.
This shows at the same time that
the great words Of the entente powers
about fighting for the rights of smaller
nations ana International order are
empty sounds, for when Germony's
enemies seek to control neutral trade
they simply ignore the rights of other
countries ana base not on the principle
of right, but upon pure might. precisely
what they allege they want to abolish.
The second year of the war there
fore shows that our enemies are pre-
cisolY what they all along wrongly re-
preached Germany with being. namely
d~isturbers OF the peace - Russia
through her nnbridled passion for ex-
tending her borders: England, through
being u~ncontrollably for dominating
alone the economic world and France.
through her passion for revenge.