New Britain herald., 1917-05-16
NO NEW TERMS TO OFFER. IS
 HOLLWEG'S DEFY TO CRITICS
German Chancellor Chastis es Enemies in Reichstae Americas Role in War Ignored -R Revolutionary
 Speeches By Socialist Members.

O0A~AASO Ase~ANeb0
 between us and our allies belongs te
 the realm of fable. expressly
 affirm thts now with certainty. am
 at tho same time, also expressing the
 conviction that the leading statesmen
 of the Powers which are our allies are 1 with us.
 T thoroughly and fully understood { the passionate interest of the people
 m the war aims and peace conditions
 | understood the call for clearness which today is addressed to me from the right and left. But in the dis. cussion of our war aims the only guiding line for me is the early and satisfactory conclusion of the war Beyond that cannot do or say any, thing.
 If the general situation forces me to reserve ,as is the case now, I shall Keep this reserve. and no pressure either from Herr Scheidemann or Herr Roesicke will force mo from my path. shall not allow myself to be led astray by utterances from Scheide- mann, who at time when drumfire sounds on the Aisne and the Arras, believed he could spread among the Ieople the possibility of revolution. The German people will be with me in | condemning such utterances and also Roesicke's attempt to represent me ss being under the influence of the social democrats.
 ''I am reproached for being in the hands of one party, but am not in the hands of any party, either the right or the left. am glad can state that definitely. If am in the hands of any one I am in the hands of my people, whom alone have to serve and all of whose sons, fighting for the existence of the nation, are firmly ranged round the Kaiser, whom they trust and who trusts them. The Kaiser's word of August lives un- altered. Roesicke, who sets himself forward as a particular protector If this word, has received in the Kaiser's s Easter message the assurance of the unaltered existence of the Kaiser's word.
 T trust that the reserve which must exercise-it would be unscrupul- ous on my part did not exercise it. will find support from the majority of the Retchstag and also among the people, For a month past unpar- alieled battles have been waging on the west front The entire people, with all It's thoughts and sorrows and feelings, is with its sons up there, who with unexampled tenacity and defi- ance of death resist the daily renewed attacks of the English and French.
 Allies Seek Conquest.
 "Even today I see no readiness for peace on the part of England or France, nothing of the abandonment of their excessive aims of conquest and economic destruction. Where. then, were the governments who last winter openly stood up before the world in order to terminate this in- sane slaughter of peoples? Were they in London or in Paris? The most re- cent utterances which I have heard from London declare that the war aims which were announced two years ago remain unaltered.
 "Dven Herr Scheidemann will not believe that could meet this decla- ration with a beau geste. Does any one believe, in view of tho state of mind of our western enemies. that they could be induced to conclude peace by a program of renunciation? "It comes to this. Shall I immedi- ately give our western enemies an assurance which will enable them to prolong the war indefinitely without danger of losses to themselves? Shall tell these enemies: Come what may, we shall under all circumstances be people who renounce: we shall not touch a hair of your head. But you want our lives. you can, without any risks, continue to try your luck?'
 Shall nail down the German em- pire in all directions by a one-sided formula which only comprises one part of the total peace conditions and which renounces successes won by the blood of our sons and brothers and leaves all other matters in sus- pense?
 MO, I will not pursue such 8 policy. That would be the basest ingratitude toward the heroic deeds of our peo- pie at the front and at home. It would permanently press down our people. to the smallest worker, in their entire conditions of life. It would be equivalent to surrendering the future of the Fatherland.
 ''Or ought. conversely, to set forth a program of conquest. I de- cline to do that, (Cries from the Right: We are not demanding that.") If 1t has not been demanded. then we are of one opinion. I also decline to set forth a program of conquest. We did not so forth to war, and we stand in battle now against almost tho whole world. not in order to make conquests but exclusively to secure our existence and to establish firmly the future of tho nation. A program of conquest helps as little aS program of recon ciliation to win victory and the war. '4On the contrary, should thereby merely play the game of hostile rulers and make 1t easier for them further to delude their war-weary peoples into prolonging the war immeaBurably,