The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1917-01-13
BRITISH HIT BACK
At GERMAN NOTE
TO THE NEUTRA[S
Defend Their Right to Cut OF
Supplies From Enemies
in War.
WHO "STARVED" PARIS
Statement Recalls That Ger
man Chancellor Admitted
Wrong to Belgium.

LONDON. Jan. 13--An authoritative
statement issued to-day gives the
British view Of tho German and Aus
trian notes to ncutrals. 1t repeats
the assertion that Germany was re-
sponslble for starting the war. inas-
much as the proposal for a conference
was rejected. This refusal. IL Is point
cd out, was given on July 81, 1914,
while it was not until July 81 that
orders were given for general mobil-
ization by tho Russian Government.
The statement deals at length with
the German charge that the proposals
of the Allies regarding the rights OF
small nationalitics lacked sincerity
in view OF tho treatment of the Irish
and the Beers. the subsection OF
Northern Africa. the suppression OF
foreign nationalitles In Russia and
the treatment OF Greece. On this
point the statement says:
AS for Ireland and South Africa,
their sons have shown on many bat
tlehclds. as the Germans know TO
their cost, that whatever differences
there may have been between those
countries and Great Britain they are
now united with tho rest Of the
empire In rcpelllng German aggres-
sion. As for Northern Africa, at the
beginning OF tho war had net Ger
many, too. great colonies in Africa?
| Did not they obtain those colonies
by similar means to those which
place tho French, Italian and British
in coastal in Northern African"
1t is pointed out that the whole Of
Russia Is united against tho Central
Powers. while as regards Greece "the
allies have done no moro than exact
In their capacity Of protecting pow
ers the guarantees to which they
were entitled against German in
triguc TO protect the safety OF their
own armies"
Dealing with the charge that the
Allies were the first to violate the
| laws or war at sea, the statement
says: From the very beginning the
Germans sowed mines indiscrimin
|
all international law and with total
disrespect OF the rights and lives OF
neutrals. The right OF cutting of
supplies of an enemy is well rec
ognized belligerent right practised by
all nations. The avowed purpose OF
the submarine measures OF Germany
was TO cut off the supplies of these
Islands. This campaign has beer
carried out r1ithlessly and with tota
disregard Of the rights of neutral.
and OF their lives. Even the Ger.
mans cannot pretend to excuse sucl
crimes as those OF the Lusitania, tn,
Arabic, the Sussex and many others
The Germans profess to regard n
inhuman the employment of starva
tion as n weapon. Were they OF tn
same opinion in 1870 when the,
starved the city OF Parish"
The statement charges that Ger
many herself started the war II
, Africa by an attempt to raise an in
: surrection in South Africa. and say
! the Germans are better supplied wit
I ammunition and machine guns Il
Africa than are the allies. Denia
also is made of the qhnrges OF ba
treatment OF prisoners. and attention
is drawn to the events In Belgium
the Armenian massacres and III
e alleged ill-treatment OF prisoners /
the Wittenberg camp and elsewhere
Have the Germans forgotten" tn
: statement continues, that the Chan
!. cellor admitted the violation OF Be
;, gian neutrality was wrong bu
. claimed 1t was justified by militar
necessity? AS for tho treatment {
o Belgium. the world will not readil
= forget the massacrcs OF Aerschot an
!; Louvain. the forced levies of Belgia
: funds, and the inhuman. barbarou
j. deportations which are being carrie
@ out this day"
II is improbable the allies will max
;. any further comment on the Germa
and Austrian notes.