The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-17
II
Analysis aud Interpretation OF Ger
man Emperor's Rcscript 10
President Wilson.


President Wilson.
when the German emperor In my
presence indted his letter TO Presi-
dent Wilson Of August 10, 1914, he
asked that / cable IT Immediately to
the state department and that | ST
simultaneously give 1t to the press. Az
II have already stated, / cabied the
document Immediately to the state
department at Washington but /
withheld IL from publication
Ny interview with the emperor
was in the morning, That afternoon
a man holding a high position in
Germany sent for me. / do not give
I his name because | do not wish 10 in
volve him in any way with the en-
peror. 40 l shall not even Indicate
whether he is a royalty or an official
He said
You had an interview today with
the emperor What happened"
/ I told Of the Message given me
/ for the president which was intended
! for publication by the emperor He
said. Il think you ought TO show
that message TO me; you know the
/ emperor ia constitutional emp eror
such n message"
] showed him the message, and
when he had read 1t he said: II
think 1t would he inadvisabIe for us
to have this message published. and
i in the interest OF good feeling be-
/ tween Germany and America, If
YOU cable It ask that publication he
| withheld +"
| 1 complied with his request and il
! liz characteristic Of the president
/ desire to preserve good relations that
! publication was withheld Now, when
the two countries are at war; when
the whole world. and especially our
own country, has an interest in
knowing how THIS great calamity of
/ universal war came TO the earth. the
! time has come when this message
should be given ont and / have pub
lished II by permission.
KAISER WfLHELMs
, WEAK EXCUSE
This n1ost interesting document in
/ the first place clears up one issue
never really obscure in the eyes of the
world-the deliberate violation of the
neutrality OF Belgium. whose terri
tory had to be violated by Germany
on strategical grounds" The very
weask exealse Ia added that ,.:tnam@''
had been received that France was
already preparing to enter Belgium"
not even a pretense that there had
WA ''Nii ANY sA'tudi VOCATION OF bel
GUMS frontier bv the French prior
10 the German invasion of that nn-
fortunate country. or courssa the
second excuse, that the king of the
! Beigians had refused free passage to
me emperor's troops under guarantee
or his countrys freedom, is even
weaker than the first. 1t would, in
deed. inaugurate. a new era in the
intercourse OF nations II small ma
tion could only preserve it's freedom
ny al all times on request granting
tree passage 10 the troops of a DOW
"rful neighbor on the march to at
TACK an adjoining country.
when, on the evening OF August 4
iFl@. Won Schoen. the German am
nassador In Paris presented to the
French government the German de
claratfon OF war. that document stated
mat The German civil and military
authorities have reported certa in
mum Der or definite acts OF hostility
/ committed m German territory nv
French military avators Several or
these have clearly violated the neu-
tralitv of Belgium In Ming over the
territory of this country One of then,
fried to DESTROY structures near Vessel.
Others have been seen I'm the region
OF Eihel another has thrown bombs
on the railway near Karlsruhe and
NlIr1hEpr
~ ,
honor. IN r,a,fn -. "aFe tle
ceIlercw +b.+ g., So urxF -
aggressiorp The Co,r,as -, 'lfer7
si6ars ITSELF "a stata w,
France nv thA So ~ .st~ ,s..r
power" But when The German en-
sons1 axntar.tinr Co., res'. nis ~
xoy, bn no AZ 49,
legged violation of 80 no,,4,.. s.e -.
Relpi,,n hv tbo rraro,, 49,. ~ -.
that that nau+,.ltt,, MA"
ed nv the Germans "or, 80,
grounds" ~ ca
Ava as,ao fror, +ho ..t.,u.,
pelgian pa,tr,lity cha+ ,,.,s
become Of ENGLAND ena ~ 49, 40
II rho pruesiar a,,t,....s - " ~
left rrac IN dnfaa, a.o ~
nations ~ ,he eartbo VIA -
come the defeat Of Russia ana sar h,a