New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-11
HOhenzOllern
Mendacity
UDEN ORFF'S reassuring
words, addressed to a group of
German newspaper men in eX-
IT'S THERE limit to German ly-
ing?" asks Colonel George Har-
YeY in his "War Weekly" And

lng?' asks Colonel George Har-
vey in his "War Weekly" And
he hastens to add that the question is
put in ali seriousness. And he goes on
to say:
"The world has hitherto observed and re-
marked upon the profuse, varegated and
gratuitous falsehoods of the German govern
ment. and the Kaiser himself. concerning
the causes and circumstances of the out
break of the war. There were lies about
the designs of Russia, lies about French
invasion of Germany, lies about the du-
plicity of Belgium, lies about the attitude
and course of Great Britain. Of all these
falsehoods Germany is self-convicted Are
they not all written in the confessions of
Prince Lchnowsky and other eminent and
indisputable German authorities?
CAS- for the later falsehoods, about German
prohibition of munitions trade in 1898 about
the guns the Lusitana and what not
else, diplomatic records TEEN and
reek with their shameless dishonesty.
But still each day seems to bring new
confessions, disclosures or recognition of
Hohenzolern mendacity. The German press
itself has now taken to questioning the
kaisers veracity, if not actually to imput-
ing wanton falsehood to his charge 1t re-
proaches him with having hidden or at
least withheld from the German people at
its beginning the real aims and purposes of
the war. The Frankfurter Zeitung' now
recognizes that the Kaiser and his military
encourage started the war and are still con-
tlnulng it for the sole purpose of enforcing
German supremacy the world and in
consequence declares that they gave no
hint of that purpose and made not the
al To ! and hat /, A,I
done so, if the German people had known
the truth, there would have been no such
unanimous support of the government in its
war making as there has been under its
false pretences.
eve are constrained to wonder whether
there is limit to German lying; whether
the German government has really told
the truth about one single circumstance
of the war; whether the Hohenzollerns
and their retainers in fact cspa-
Bile OF being truthful, or are SIM
ply tit successors of Frederick the Great
Liar, whose three basic principles of inter
national policy were first, falsehood sec
ond, falsehood, and third, falsehood The
impression that truth is impossible in Ger
man diplomacy is only the more confirmed
by the cynical declaration of the German
Foreign Minister that one Of the essential
prelimInaries OF peace negotiations must be
"a certain degree Of mutual confidence in
each others honesty and chivalry.' In exist
ing circumstances, notorious to the world
that declaration could not have been made
by any one who was not completely lost to
both truth and shame.
at is not pleasant to dwell upon this in
describable turpitude Of nation which only
few years ago was commonly regarded
civilized and Christian, and it certainly
would be neither profitable nor becoming to
se]f-respecting nation simply to indulge
in abuse per Of adversary, no mat
ter how much such treatment might be de-
served. But it is necessary to say these
things, and to repeat them TO a too easily
forgetfuI people, because there is. nothing
more essential To our national welfare than
that this understanding Of the German Off
cjaJ character, In all its utter mendscity
and treachery, shall be kept constantly and
wildly in mind by the American people and
their government, in order that they may
be always ready 10 appraise at it's real
worth lcssness any proposal Of peace by ne
sotiation which the Hun may make
I'VE cannot believe liars. We cannot trust
raitors, We cannot negotiate with trick
terri and perjurers. " cannot enter into
With treat .oreakers. We can
at make coIncrornisca with Hung."