New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05
Declares Offer to Refrain
From Attacking France, for
British Guarantee, Ignored

personally TO the President rs VII
helm IFS version Of how the world wa
began
Because Of Emperor williams "eal
culated indiscretion" embodied in al
interview in "The London Daily Tele
graph" IN October %, 1908, and late
authenticated by the German Foreigl
Office in Berlin, with the comment tina
il was intended by the Kaiser as
message 70 the English people" tn
German Emperor bound himself to sub
iect henceforth any expression Of tn
imperial views to the bride Of the min
istry and the council Of the empire. Oh
this account, and by official request il
Berlin, Ambassador Gerard suppressed
this cable message TO President Wilson
which the Kaiser in August, 1914, CAV
him for publication.
Kaiser's Own Version
II now appears by special permission
Of the President, as a document date'
later than Chancellor Won Bethmann
Hollweg's speech in the Reichstag o
August 4. 1914, which gave the ther
German official account Of how the wa
began. and dated, also, after the Ger
man declaration Of war against France
The Emperor's cable message reads II
full as follows;
For the President Of the
United States Personally:
l0NllI IA.
1. r. R. II. Prince Henry was
received by his Majesty King
George V in London, who cmpow-
cred him 10 transmit il to me YER
balIv that England would remain
neutral IL war broke out on the
continent involving Germany and
France. Austria and Russia. This
message was tclegraphed TO me by
nv brother from London after his
conversation with II. NJ. the King
and repeated verbally on the TWEEN
ty-ninth Of July.
.. Ny Ambassador in LONDON
transmitted a message from SIR T.
GREY to Berlin saying that only in
case France was likely TO be
crushed England would interfere.
3. On the thirtieth my Ambas-
sador in London reported that sir
Edward Grey in course OF a PIT.
yate" conversation told him that II
the conflict remained localized be,
tween R,Issio-not Seroia--and
Austria, England would not move,
but il we mixed" in the fray she
would take quick decisions and
grave measureE; !. G., II ] left my
sllv Austria in the lurch to fight
alone England would not touch me.
Kaiser's Message to George
4. This communication being di-
rectlv counter 20 the Kings mes
sage to me. telegraphed 70 n. VI.
on the twenty-ninth or THIRTEEN,
thanking him for kind messages
through my brother and begging
him to use all his power to Keep
France and Russia-his Allies
from making any wsrlike prepare
lions calculated to disturb my
work Of mediation, stating that
was in constant communication
with II. VI. the Gar. In the even
ing the King kindly answered that
he had ordered his Government to
use every possible influence with
his Allies 10 refrain from taking
any provocative military measures.
At the same time II. VI. asked me
II I would transmit 10 Vienna the
British proposal that Austria was
10 take Belgrade aad p few other
Serbian towns and n strip Of coun-
try as a "mai1mise" 70 make sure
that the Serbian promises on paper
should be fulhlled in reality. This
PROPOSAL was in the same moment
telegraphed TO me from Vienna Tor
London. quite in conjunction with
the British proposal; besides. had
telegraphed 10 II. Nj. the Gar the
same as an idea OF mine, before /
received the two communications
from Vienna and London, as both
were of the same opinion.
.. | Immediately transmitted the
kilograms vice versa 70 Vienna and
London. ! felt that ] was able TO
tide the question over and was
happy at the peaceful outlook.
g. While ! was preparing r. note
10 II. NJ. the Car the next morning,
10 inform him that Vienna, Lon
don and Berlin were agreed about
the treatment Of affairs, ] received
the telephones from II. f. the Chan
cellor that in the night before the
Car had given the order TO mobo-
lie the whole OF the Russian army,
which was, of course, also meant
against Germany; whereas up till
then the southern armies had been
modified against Austria.
Accuses Sir Edward Grey
=. In telegram from London my
ambassador informed me he under
stood the British Government would
guarantee neutrality of France and
wished to know whether Germany
would refrain from attack. ! tele-
graphed to n. NJ. the King person
ally that mobilization being already
carried out could not be stopped, but
IL II. VI. could guarantee with his
armed forces the neutrality Of
France ! would refrain from attack
ing her, leave her alone and employ
my troops elsewhere. II. NJ. an
swered that he thought my offer
was based on a Misunderstanding;
and, as far "a | can make out, Sir
T.. Grey never took my offer into
serious consideration. He never
answered il. Instead. he declared
England had to defend Belgian ncu-
traiity. which had TO be violated on
strategical grounds, news having
been received that France was al
ready preparing To enter Belgium.
and the King OF the Belgians hnv-
ing refused my petition for a free
passage under guarantee 81 hi,
country's freedom. am most
grateful for the Presidents mes
sage. WILLIAM II. r.