The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-28
ACCUSES AMERICA
OF YIELDING TO
GREAT BRITAIN
German Chancellor Says Also That There
Is No Turning Back in Subma-
rine Policy.

Berlin, Feb. 2S, via London.--In his adj
dress to the Reichstag yesterday Chan
cellor Won Bethmann Hollweg said that
the successes obtained in the submarine
warfare already had much surpassed the
expectations of the German army.
Speaking of relations with the United
States, the chancellor said:
II would fully understand it if the
United States, as protector of interna-
tional law, should have bartered for its
re-establishment in equal fashion with
all the belligerents and if desiring to re.
store peace to the world, had taken meas
ures to enforce the end of the bloodshed.
But | cannot possibly consider it vital
question for the American nation to pro-
| tect international law in one sided
| fashion, only against us. Our enemies
and American circles which are unfriend-
! ly towards us thought that they could
point out an important difference be-
tween our course of action and that of
the British. England, they have salts
fed themselves, destroys only material
values which can be replaced, while Ger
many destroys human lives, which are
impossible TO replace.
"Well, gentlemen, why did the British
not endanger American livesS Only be-
cause neutral countries, and especially
America, voluntarily submitted to the
British orders, and because the British
therefore could attain their object with
out employing force. What would have
happened if Americans had valued I'M
hampered passenger and commodities
traffic with Bremen and Hamburg as
much as that with Liverpool and Lon
DOM If they had done so then we should
have been freed from the painful impress
sion that, according to America, a sub
mission to British power and control is
compatible with the essential character
OF neutrality, but that il is Incompatible
with this neutral policy to recognize Ger
man measures of defense"
Gentlemen, let us consider the whole |
question. The breaking off of relations |
with us and the attempted mobilization |
of all neutrals against us do not serve for |
the protection OF the freedom OF the seas
proclaimed by the United States, These
actions will not promote the peace de.
sired by President Wilson. They must, |
have encouraged the at
tempt to starve Germany and to multiply |
the bloodshed
ave regret the rupture with nation
which by her history seemed to be pre-
destined surely to work with us, not
against us. But since our honest will for
peace has encountered only ieering on the
part of our enemies there is no more go
ing backward There is only going
ahead possible for us.
The chancellor then insisted that Eng I
land obviously endeayored TO declare that Il
the use of the submarine weapon was the
greatest crime of history since, he said,
England considered herself the ordained
ruler of the oceans and the benefactor Of
He recalled the opinion ex-
pressed on July ID, 1914, by Sir Percy
scott. to whom he referred az one of the
greatest English authorities on naval his
ory. Sir Percy he said, predicted a sub
marine war exactly as it had come about
Turing this war, and declared that no OBJ
ection to it would be possible on the
rounds of law or morality. Sir Percy. |
he chancellor added, obviously could not
ave considered that the present subma-
liit Wa ldtt NpNlu nNNbint tue OHAN bNi~ 4
nan defensive measure against the en-
ente allies and the British starvation
blockade. III
The chancellor pointed out that this
British starvation blockade was not with
ut precedent in English history. Pre-
nier Lloyd George himself. said the chan.
ellor, had protested in Parliament
gainst the cruelty by which the British
ictimized thousands of innocent women
nd children of the Beers. Mr.. Lloyd III
gorge stated that the death rate among I II
hildren below IL years of age was in II
hose concentration camps 4l.6 per cent; II
oseph Chamberlain, then British colonial II
scretary, admitted that the death rate III
mong children in the Orange Free state
'as temporarily SIS per cent, the chancel- II
" recounted. Ill
"These conditions" he continued, "were II
he result of a systematic policy OF ex-
,rmination under which women and
lildren were insufficiently supplied with
perhaps because there was
ok of food, but purposely. The British
that time killed 10000 to 1900 wom-
and children out of 10000. thus max
g IL per cent of them victims of bar II
Irous British warfare. But now Brit II
n desires TO make victims of the WON II
!, children, aged and i'll of a nation