Omaha daily bee., 1917-08-02
R|B0T MAKES HOT
REPLY SPEECH
OF CHANCELLOR
He Says MiChaeIis' Statement
About Secret Treaty Full of
Gross Inaccuracies and
Absolute Lies.

"iSt AAAb' - ASlilSl NiDDt re-
piled in the chamber yesterday to the
declaration made Saturday by DR..
Michaelis, the German chancellor, that
there was secret treaty between
France and Russia, having in view
plans of conquest.
Premier Ribot, after saying he was
convinced that Spain would apply the
decree interning the German subma-
rine which anchored in the harbor
of Corunna Monday evening, said:
i wish to reply to the singular
speech which Mr.. Michaelis thought
fit to invite the Berlin journalists
to hear. The German chancellor pub
licly commanded the French govern
ment to declare whether in secret
sitting June |, the French government
had not made known to the Cham
Der of Deputies the terms of a Sc
cret treaty made before the Russian
revolution, whereby the emperor
bound himself to support French pre-
tensions to Germany territory on the
left bank of the Rhine.
Inaccuracies and Lies.
THE chancellor's version contains
gross inaccuracies and absolute lies,
notably regarding the role he attrib-
utes to the president of the republic
in giving an order to sign a treaty
unknown TO Premier BRAND. The
chambers know how things passed.
M. Doumergue (ex-premier and for
eign minist1r), after a conversation
with the emperor. demanded and ab-
tained M. Brands authorization to
take note Of the emperor's promise
to support Cur claim to Alsace-L -Lor-
raine and to leave us free to seek
guarantees against fresh aggression,
not by annexing territories on the
left bank of the Rhine, but making an
autonomous state of these territories
which would protect us and also Bel
gium against invasion.
I'VE have never thought to do
what Bismarck did in 1871. We are
therefore entitled to deny the allega-
tion of the chancellor, who evidently
knows of the letters exchanged in
February, 1917, at Petrograd and falsi-
fed since, as his most illustrious
predecessor falsihed the Ems dis
patch. Whenever the Russian gov
ernment is willing to publish these
letters we have no objection.
Michaelis Also Ignores Facts.
"The chancellor refrained from
speaking about my declaration, March
2E wherein | repudiated in Frances
name any policy of conquest and an
nexation by force. He has willfully
forgotten my language, May p, in
the chamber, saying we were ready |
to enter into conversation with Rus
sia as to the object of the war, and
if the German people, whose right |
to live and develop peacefully we
do not contest, understood that we |
wished peace founded on the right of
people, the conclusion of peace would
thereby be singularly facilitated.
Finally, the chancellor passed |
over in silence the resolution unani-
mously voted after the June secret
session"
Reads Anti Conquest Resolution.
Here Premier Ribot read from his
speech in the chamber warning
against those who wished to spread |
the conviction that France was seek
ing conquest and read the terms of
the resolution adopted by the cham
Der at that time declaring that peace
conditions must include the liberation
Of territories occupied by Germany,
the return of Alsace-Lorraine to
France and just reparation for dam
age done in the invaded regions. The
resolutions also favored the creation
Of league of nations for the main
tenance of peace.
Too Crude to Deceive Anyone.
"Who now dare say to the world
that we wish annexation?" continued
Premier Ribot. "Such maneuvers are
too crude to deceive anyone, especial
y the democratic masses of the Rus
sian people, who it is vainly being
tried to separate from their allies by
1eceiving them as to the true senti-
nents of French democracy. What is
the chancellor seeking? He is trying
10 hide the embarrassment which he
.eels in defining Germany's objects
Continued on Page Two, Column Four.)
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