The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-19
'SWAMPS ENCL AND
WITH v0LLEY OF
QUERIES ON WAR
Did Great Britain Seize Or
portunity to Assault
Germany?

Berlin, Jan. IS. (by Wireless to Say
Vile "A statement ascribed to ! a
"competent and well-informed author
ity," replying to the British authori-
tative view of the most recent German
and Austrian notes to the neutral Gov
ernments, was issued to-day by the
Overseas News Agency.
In the British statement the asser-
ton again was made that Germany
was responsible for beginning the war,
inasmuch as the proposal for confer
ence was rejected before the Russian
Governmnet gave orders for a general
mobilization. The rejoinder to this
is in the form of a series of counter
queries including the following:
did not Sir Edward Grey (the Brit
Fish Foreign Secretary declare that he
renowned the idea of a conference if
Germany succeeded in making Aus
ria-Hungary negotiate directly with
Russia?
tWas not the offer Of reference to
q court Of arbitration made on the
same day that Russia modified
against Austria Hungary, the ally of
Germany, to whose assistance Ger
many was compelled, to go by treaty,
and was this not an unfair offer, which
could be answered by Germany only
in such manner as it was?
"Did not the British Ambassador at
st. Petersburg (Petrogra6 already on
July Is, 1914, warn Sazonof (Russian
Foreign Minister) against ordering
mobilization, since Germany could not
be satisfied with counter mobilization,
but must Immediately declare war?
did not Count Won Pourtales Ger
man Ambassador to Russia) continu-
ously inform Sazanoff to the same eff
feet? j
tsWas it not in England's power to
stay out Of the war, but would she not
rather use the opportunity to assault
Germany, after Sir Edward Grey had
refused to remain neutral, even with
Belgian neutrality and the integrity OF
France and the French colonies guar
anteed by Germany?
ssIsn't it to be seen from this fact
and from the refusal to give cond1-
tons at all under which Great Brit
ain would remain neutral that it was
the absolute British will to attack?
HAS not Russia, after she had car
ried ON mobilization expressed graf
itude to England for the firm att1-
tude which was observed by England
toward Germany
The statement goes into another Sc
ries of queries on various matters, IN
Guiding these: ~
"Can England furnish any proof for
her affirmation that Germany before
the British laid mines in the German
Sea and placed mines otherwise than
Ton the German and English. coasts
and at the approaches to British wa
ters after a corresponding warning
to neutrals?
'.Is not the German submarine war
exclusively reprisal against the Brit
! ish policy of starvation?
"Are the British ignorant OF the
fact that Paris was a fortress AMI was
regularly and according to the laws
| Of war besieged by the Germans?
| do the I:nglish know that there
are Russian prison camps where
MANY Germans have miserably per-
ished. such as Totskoi where no less
than 1900 died?
| why does not the British press dis-
cuss the Bsitish proposals of 1897 re
| garding Belgium.
DO the English avoid the confess
| sion that the British Government
knows two interpretations of interna'
| t,onal law, according as it may be OF
| o lva ntage to her own interests?
..why did the British Government
prohibit the publication of reports OF
Belgian Ministers about the encircline
policy of England Is it ashamed Of
| So own actions 2o