New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-30
France Fighting to Keep
the Faith of Her Dead
and Children
Blames Kaiser for War
General Asserts Germans Long
Planned Conflict with
France and Russia

Especial Gable 20 Le Courier les Flats Unisl
Paris. June 20. General Petain's ar
ticle in the Bulletin des Armees' en-
titled "Why We Are Fighting has ere
ated d sensation here. In part ne says.
I'VE are fighting to drive the enemy
from our territory and to prevent by a
solid and complete peace any recur-
renee of such aggression in the future.
We are lighting because it would be a
crime to betray BY shameless weak
ness the faith Of our dead and our
children. We are fighting that peace
may bring relief to our country and
exercise a trouble that, with 4 bad
ending to the war, would be much
worse than that which we have auf-
fered'
Then General Petain goes into the
causes of the war, rehearslng the ms,
tory Of the events of the summer OF
1914 and recalling the efforts made by
France. Russia and England 20 proven,
the conflict.
"On July 90 Nicholas II offered in a
personal dispatch TO the Kaiser TO SUD
NIT the question to the Hague Confer
ence. The Kaiser declined the oner:
but without doubt, beng conscious or
the crime he had committed, suppressed
in the German White Book that highly
important dispatch. Brusquely, while
Vienna wished perhaps TO negotiate
William II precipitated the contiict by
declaring war on Russia even before
Austria, to the despair of the entire
world.
Wished War for Years
"The truth is that Germany for
years wished war against Russia ana
against France. For a long time she
had foreseen an invasion OF the TWO
countries in its minutest details by
maintaining spy organization without
precedent and by the most complete
military preparation
Thereupon General Petain shows
how the French government gave the
order TO keep its soldiers at ten kiio-
metres from the frontier, then how the
Germans broke through at many points
without declaration Of war, and
finally how the declaration was made
under the ridiculous pretext that
French aviators had thrown bombs
near Nuremberg. In passing TO the
violation Of Belgian neutrality he says;
"The Germans hoped to crush US IN
a few months by traitorously attack
ing through Belgium with formidable
forces. They believed it 70 be certain
that before England could send any
thing more than her contemplate lit
tic army they would be in Paris.
what Germany wished the Pan.
Gcrmanists have avowed She wished
in particular. besides our departments
o. the North and East. Flanders. Artois
and Lorraine, and our most precious
mineral. industrial and agricultural re-
sources. to extort from US ten times
as much gold as in 1871.
Beaten on the Marine and the User,
stopped at Nerdun. obliged 20 give up
her colonies and beSieged little by lit
tie in Europe. has Germany renounced
her hateful dream? MOI at all. The
more we infict cruel losses on her the
more she desires compensations.
Seeks Profits in Peace
Beyond a doubt. Inundated by re-
verses. starved by the blockade, bleed
ing from her combats, she desires
peace, Dul SHe WISHES Pc@Oe 4"ii "
honors that is to say, full Of profits.
That is the peace which she has pre-
tended to offer u. peace at price.
"The proof of the bad faith Of Ge"-
many is to be found in her response
10 President Wilson and her refusal 10
specify what she is fighting for-proof
in itself that this is not allowable.
THAT i to say, while not daring to-
day to tell the world, Germany reserves
all her pretensions. She wlled the
war to realize them. Alone in Europe
she prepared it. Alone in Europe she
desired il, led up to it, preciptated il,
declared il. rendered it ineXcusab,e by
her atrocities. In maintaining her OK
orbitant pretensions 20 domination,
without having the faith or the wish
to avow them, she is the only obstacle