Evening star., 1918-06-26
GERMANY DECLINES
FURTHER TO ARGUE
WILSON PRINCIPLES
Won HertIing Intimates Idea
of League of Nations Is
Unacceptable.
FIRMNESS OF ENEMIES
SEEN BY KUEHLMANN
Foreign Secretary Says Kaiser
Never Dreamed cf Dominating
Europe by Starting
Struggle.

By the Associated Press.
AMSTERDAM, June 2o.-
There will be no further discus
sion of President Wilson's four
principles of a basis for general
peace by Count Won Hertling,
the imperial German chancellor.
This announcement was made
by the chancellor in the reichstag
IN the debate after the speech OF
Foreign Secretary Won kuehl-
mann. Proposal of league OF
nations after the war is not
looked upon with favor by Count
Won Hertling, who intimated that
such league might make it un-
comfortable for Germany.
Reasons for Reserve.
81 originally had no intention of
taking part in this debate" said the
chancellor. THE reasons for my con-
templated reserve are obvious. name
ly, the experiences l have had to-
gether with my predecessors remarks
in previous speeches.
IF we spoke our willingness for
peace that was regarded as symp-
tom of weakness and our Immediately
impending collapse BY others it was
interpreted as crafty traps.
'.Did we speak, on the other
hand, of our unshakable will to de-
fend ourselves in war Of conquest
so criminally thrust upon us, 1t was
said that 1t was the voice OF German
fnilitarism to which even the leading
statesmen must submit wiliy-nilly.
President Wilson Silent.
'T went a step further on February
"a and expressly stated my attitude
toward the message of President Will
son in which he discussed his four
points. and gave. in principle, my as
sent to them. / said that those four
points of President Wilson might pos
eibly form the basis Of general
word peace. No utterance of Presi-
dent Wilson whatever followed this.
so that there is no object in spinning
any further the threads there started
''There is still less object after
statements which have since reached
us, especially from America. These
statements. indeed, made it really
clear what is to be understood from
a peace league of peoples. or league
Of peoples for the maintenance of
freedom and justice.
"Our opponents made it clear that
they would be the kernel of this
league of peoples, and that it would.
in this way, not be difficult to isolate
the uncomfortable upward strivings
gulation to extinguish her vital
breath. 1 considered 1T as against
this quite proper that the foreign
secretary make statement on the
details of our political position in the
east from Finland to the Black sea,
ION the other hand" continued
Count Won Hertling, some of his
statements were given more or less
unfriendly reception in wide circles"
The chancellor said he would not
go into the question of the RESPONSE
bility for the war. There are already
testimonies that Germany was not to
blame" he added.
II feel obliged to clear away the
misunderstanding which, it seems, we
obtained in the Interpretation of the
statement" he continued. THE tend
ency of these utterances of the state
secretary was surely to ascribe the
responsibility for the continuation
and immeasurable prolongation Of
this terrible war to the enemy pow
Gated on February "a, for it goes
without saying there can be no ques-
tion Of lessening our energetic de-
fense or our will, or of shaking our
confidence in victory"
Stormy applause followed this ut
terance by the chancellor.
Now. as BEFORE" he added, 1.-The
ruler of the empire, the princes and
the people stand closely and conf
IDENTIFY together They trust in our
Incompatible troops. our incompara-
BILE army leaders. and our united peo-
pie. who are unshakably standing to-
gether. and we may hope that the
Almighty. who hitherto has helped us
and led US from victory to victory,
will reward this faithful German
people
Regrets Bloodthirstiness.
Regret was expressed by Deputy
Groeber. centrist, that the utterances
of the foreign secretary were still as
bloodthirsty as ever. He added:
Nevertheless. / believe we have
passed the climax of international
hatred. German war aims offer no
obstacle to a truce of God"
Count Won Westarp. conservative,
said that the words Of the foreign
secretary regarding responsibility for
the war alarmed him and that DR.. Won
Kuehlmann's declaration did not
strengthen the will TO peace
Abroad" he continued they will, I
fear. regard 1t as a new peace Often
sive. An appeal to the good will of
England is useless"
Sees Difficult Questions.
Secretary Kuehlmann made a gem
erai reply to the criticisms raised In
the debate. He said the most difficult
questions in the conclusion Of a peace
would be territorial questions and
proceeded to deal In some detail with
the rectifcations that would be re-
Qu,red by Austria Hungary and Bull
garia Discussions between the two
central powers would offer no diff
culties.
culties of settling the frontier ques-
tions between Turkey and Bulgaria
owing to the sentimental grievances
left by the Balkan war. and said that
Germany and Austria had done their