The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-30

UnlIeQ states OI AIIleIACeI oiAA N~ not have such intention now. It never desired war against the United States of America and does not desire it now" was the declaration made by the German Imperial Chancellor, pr. von Bethmann~Hollweg, in speech in the Reichstag yesterday.
 The Chancellor made important declarations concerning Germany policy toward the United States ard Russia
 "How did these things develop?' he asked, in speaking of the relations with the United States. He then pro- ceeded to answer the question by re- viewing the causes which led up to the German use of submarines in un- restricted warfare.
 Puts Responsib:.:ty on Us
 Declaring that Germany had under taken unrestricted submarine warfare for it's defense, he continued:
 "If the American nation considers this cause for which to declare war against the German nation, with which it has lived in peace for more than one hundred years. if this action warrants an increase of bloodshed, we shall not have to bear the burden of responsibility for it.''
 Concerning German relations with the United States the Chancellor, whose speech is reported by the Over seas News Agency (the German off, cial news bureau.) said:
 Within the next few days the di- rectors of the American Nation will be convened by President Wilson for an extraordinary session of Congress in order to decide the question of war or peace between the American and German nations
 Germany never had the slightest intention of attacking the United States of America, and does not have such intention now It never desired America and does not desire it today.
 ''How did these things develop More than once we told the United States that we made unrestricted use of the submarine weapon expecting that England could Joe made to ob. serve, in her policy of blockade. the laws of humanity and international agreement. This blockade policy this expressly recall-has been called
 Illegal and indefensible' (the Imperial Chancellor here used the English
 words) by President Wilson and Sec-
 retary of State Lansing. Our expectations, which we main tained during eight months, have been
 disappointed completely. England nor
 only did not give up her illegal and indefensible policy of blockade, but
 uninterruptedly intensifed it. Eng. land, together with her aglies. arro gantly rejected the pence offers made by us and our allies and proclaimed her war aims, which aim at our annf- hilation and that of our allies. | Then we took unrestricted subma- had to for our defense.
 If the American nation considers this a cause for which to declare war against the German nation, with
 which it has lived in peace for mora than 100 years; if this action warrants an increase of bloodshed, we shall not
 have to bear the responsibility for it. , The German nation, which feels neither hatred nor hostility against the United States Of America, shall also bear anidI overcome tllis.''
 The, chancellor also referred to Ger manys attitude toward the recent events in Russia and recalled ia for.
 mer times the honored friendship be- l tween the two countries. He said,
 however, that this friendship had end. ea with the death of Alexander II. Emperor Nicholas had more and
 more drifted into the Entente's wake l and into Pan-Slavic currents and had l finally become a partisan of the War Party, omnipotent under the Russian autocratic regime.
 Thus" said the Chancellor, ''in the fateful days of July, 1914, the l Russian Emperor declined to listen to the appeal made by the German Elm peror. One of the legendary reports disseminated with especial emphasis | by our enemies is that it was the German government which assisted 1 the autocratic reactionary policy in Russia against all the movements of l liberty. One year ago declared here | in the Reichstag that tllds asseveration was directly contrary to the facts. When Russia in 1905 by the Jap anese War and the resulting revolu- 1 tion had been involved in distress, it 1 was the German Emperor who, on 1 account of personal relations Of friendship, urgently advised the Rus sian Emperor no longer to oppose the l Justified wishes of his nation for re- forms. Emperor Nicholas preferred 1 other roads.
 l "1n Russia, naQ aLIenLlOu DCon COI. centrated on internal reconstruction there would not have been room for l the restless policy of expansion which l finally led to this war, and which has ] changed the old regime so much that new it is hard even to do justice to l natural human pity for the down l fallen house of the rulers.
 !, Attitude Clearly Outlined. Nobody can tell how things shall l develop, but our attitude toward Rus sian events is clearly outlined. We l shall also follow the principle that we | never meddle with the internal prop- | lens of other countries.
 1 "It is now maliciously reported that ] Germany wants to unn1nllace tho
 hardly conquered freedom of the Rus sian Nation and that the German Elm peror wants to re-establish the rule of the Czar over his enslaved sub- iects. All these are merely lies and islander as I here expressly state.
 How the Russian nation wants to construct it's home is only the busi- ness of the Russian nation and we shall not meddle with IL. The only thing that we hope is that in Russia
 foundations may develop which will make her the strong and firm bull
 wark of peace"
 Relations With Chi1,a With reference to Chinese rela. tions the Chancellor said:
 "Our relations with China had al