Evening star., 1918-02-27
Defence PLEA EXPLODED
BY ACTS IN THE EAST
Continued from First Pase.)

This clear vision Of the American
people, labor include, sees that the
German People in their present MOOD
will be a weakening of our moral case.
the enfeeblement OF the national VIII,
the discouragement OF armies and the
The Star says that at first blush Won
Hertling's speech seems to suggest
that Pharaoh's heart Is not quite so
hard as when last he spoke, 1t adds
that Won Hertling Is trying to drive a
wedge between the British and Ameri-
can people, and says the proper counter
to this attack is to "Wilsonize" Great
Britain's peace aims and compel the
government to speak in the language
OF President Wilson.
Tries to Create Differences.
PARIS, February 27.-The French
press generally considers Chancellor
Won Hertling's speech as simply u con-
tinuation Of Germany's efforts to create
differences between the entente allies.
Won Hertling talks hypocritically
about peace" says the Petit Journal
THE speech is a monument of hypoc-
risy," La Liberte exclaims.
Marcel Sembat in L'Heur finds the
chancellor's tone changed. and attrib-
utes the modification to the influence Of
President Wilson's message.
That the chancellor finds 1t oppor-
tune TO rally publicly to President Will
that the Presidents message must have
moved German opinion profoundly"
Count Won Hertling has continued the
policy outlined by Foreign Secretary
Won kuehlmann and added ono more
temptation, the Temps says It adds:
.Protiting from the example furnished
al TINS very moment by the negotiations
at Bucharest. Won Hertling tries to bring
take separately. the initiative toward gem
eral negotiations. But instead of offering
guarantees to Belgium he demands guar
antees. 1t is the invader who has the pre-
tention OF needing protection against his
victim.
Deemed a War Speech.
The consensus Of opinion in Official and
diplomatic circles concerning Count Won
Hertling's speech is that it is a war
speech" not peace speech"
A high official of the foreign office In
forms the Associated Press that the aims
or Won Hertings grafton were threefold
First, he desired to create a division be-
tween the allies. especially between the
Anglo-S Saxon group and the Latin group;
second, he wanted to stimulate peace talk
in allied and neutral countries In an effort
70 bring about another 'Brest-Litovsk";
third. the chancellor's maneuver was ex-
pected to impress public opinion in Ger
many and abroad that military officials
do not rule in Germany but that the dip
lomats and politicians have the upper
hand.
Fails to Understand.
Count Won Hertling has failed to un-
derstand President Wilson's speeches"
this official said. HE has interpreted
them as if they had been written by
himself. The offer made to Belgium
to state her terms Is only for the pur-
pose of influencing public opinion in
the United States, which Germany
knows is fighting for no other pur-
pose than to redress the wrongs COM
mitted against Belgium. AS the treat
ment of Belgium was the most fragrant
and initial wrong perpetrated by Ger
many. the chancellor thinks that by
restoring a semblance of liberty in
Belgium he will thereby separate
America and Great Britain from the
Latin allies
BY stimulating peace talk among
the allied countries Won Hertling hopes
that one among them may be brought
to sit at conference similar to that
at Brest-Litovsk. The voice is that
of Won Hertling, but 1t is the hand Of
Won Hindenburg."
The imperial chancellor. 1t was added,
also wishes to minimize the unfavor-
able impression abroad and at home
that the military leaders rule Germany.
and to create feeling that the military
had been relegated to a secondary po-