Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-06-11
HOHENzOLLERNS
WANT THE EARTH
Their Plot, Hatched Out Before
the War, Revealed by August
Thyssen.

in the country:
OF all the revelations which have stamp
ed Germany as the greatest criminal IN
| history, none is more important than the
pamphlet written by August Thyssen and
commonly known as the Thysscn pamph-
let. Herr Thyssen rs or rather was the
leading manufacturer of steel in Germany.
| He is well known to practically all the
| directors of the American Iron & Steel
Institute He visited the United States
with the British. French and German iron
| and steel association in 1890. He took
! an active part in the proceedings held at
| Brussels in 1911, presided over by Judge
Gary, and attended by representatives
of the iron and steel industry from all
parts of the world.
Seventy-eight years of age, Herr Thys-
/ sen is one of the chief iron, coal and steel
msgnates of central Germany. Until
the beginning of the war he possessed
| huge mines, iron works, docks and even
| harhors in British India, in other British
colonial dependencies, as well rs in
| France and Russia, all of which have been
sequcstrated by the governments of these
| three powers as property belonging TO a
| German foe. He has vast docks and ship
| building works ut Vlaardingen near Rot
| terdsm. He controls the Vulcan Iron
& Steamship Building Go. of Germany
When the Thyssen pamphlet was first
| printed IN this country, The Wall Street
| Journal had serious doubts as to its
| authenticity; hut, after investigation and
correspondence with Herr Thyssen's
! friends in this country, VIC are inclined 10
! believe with them that the pamphlet
| is genuine and is just what might he
expected from an independent and widely
| travelled manufacturer who had been in
the United States. The pamphlet Is as
| follows:
| am writing this pamphlet because
want to open the eyes of Germans, es-
! pccially OF the business community, 10
| facts When the Hohenzollcrns wanted
to get the support of the commercial class
for their war plans, they put their ideas
| before us as a business proposition.
/ large number of business and commercial
men were asked TO support the Hohen-
zollern war policy on the ground that 1t
would pay them TO do so Let me frankly
confess that | am one Of those who were
| led to agree to support the Hohenzollern
war plan when this appeal was made to
the leading business men of Germany in
! 1928 I was led to do so, however,
against my better judgment.
In 1912 the Hohenzolerns saw that the
war had become a necessity 10 the preser
walton Of the military system, upon which
their power depends In that year the
| Hohenzolerns might have directed, il
they had desired. the foreign affairs of our
country so that peace would have been
assured in Europe for at least fifty years.
But prolonged peace would have resulted
| certainly III the breakup of our military
system. and with the breakup OF our
! military system. the power of the Hohen-
zolerns would come TO an end. The
! emperor and his family, as said clearly
| understood this, and they therefore, in
| 1912 decided to embark on a great war
| Of conquest.
But TO do this they had TO get the com
merclal community 10 support them IN
! their aims. They did this by holding
! out TO them hopes OF great personal gain
rs "A result OF the war In the light Of
! events hat have taken place since August.
/ 1914. these promises now appear supreme
/ " ridiculous, hut most Of US at the time
were led to believe that they would prob
! ably be realized.
PROMISES or VAST CONQUEST.
I was personally promised free grant
Oh 10000 acres IN Australia and loan
| from the Deutsch Bank Of Gl500O0. at
3 per cert, 10 cnable me 10 develop my
| business in Australia Several other
firms were promised special trading facili-
ties IN India, which was to be conquered
ov Germany. be il noted, by the end of
/ 1915 A syndicate was formed for the
| exploitation Of Canada This syndicate
consisted OF the heads of twelve great
firms; the working capital was fixed al
! f20. 0OO, OO0, half Of which was TO be
| found by the German government
There were, have heard, promises
made Of more personal character. For
| example, tie conquest OF England
was 10 be made the occasion of beStowing
/ upon certain favored and wealthy men
some Of the most desirable residences III
England, but Of this ! have no actual
/ proof
Every trade and interest was appealed
] TO- Huge indemnites were, of course,
/ to be levied on the conquered nations, and
| the fortunate German manufacturers
were, by this means, practically TO be
relieved OF taxation for years after the
/ war.
These promises were not vaguely
gwen They were made definitely by
| Bethman-Hollwego on behalf Of the eInper-
Ct 10 gatherings Of business men, and In
! many cases TO individuals. | have
mentioned the promise Of grant of
Z
made to me Promises Of a similar kind
were made To at least eighty other persons
! at special interviews with the chancellor,
and all particulars OF these promises were
| entered in a book At the Trades Depart
! ments
But not only were these promises made
| by the chancellor, they were confirmed
! by the emperor, who, on three occasions
| addressed large private gatherings OF
! business men in Berlin, Munich and
! Cassel in 1912 and 1913 / was at one
| Of these gatherings The emperor's
| speech was one Of the most fowery
| crations have listened to, and so profuse
were the promises he made that were
| even half Of what he promised to be full
| filled, most Of the commercial men in
| Germany would become rich beyond the
( dreams Of avarice.
The emperor was particularly enthusi-
/ astIc over the coming German conquest
Of India India" he said, 's occupied
by the British II is in way
governed by the British, but it is
by no mehns completely governed
them. We shall not inerely occupy
India. We shall conquer it, and the vast
revenues that the British allow to be
taken by Indian princes will, after our
conquest, flow in golden stream into
the Faith rland. In all the richest lands
Of the earth the German flag will fly over
every other flag !"
Finally the emperor concluded
Il am making you no promises that
cannot be redeemed and thew shall