The sun., 1918-07-04
THE CONVERSION AND CONFESSION OF
"A GERMAN LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER.
How Organ Of German Sentiment Was Obliged to Reconstruct
Theory Of Responsibility

W from the huUduktt Germorid-HeroG
Russian and British pressure was
about to accept the entire ultmatum
and although an agreement in regard
to the two controverted points could
easily have been arrived at and Coun.
Berchtold himself was satisfied to bs
content with the answer by Serbia.
"'3. On July 80, when Count BeNh.
told wanted to give way, we, without
Austria having been attacked, replied
to Russia's mere mobilization by send
ing an ultimatum to Petersburg, and
July 81 We declared war on the Rus
SLAMS, although the Gar had pledged
his word that as long as negotiations
continued not a man should march,
possibility Of a peaceful settlement.
I'm view Of these indisputabls
facts, II is not surprising that the
whole civilized world outside Germany
attributes to us the sole guilt for tho
world war. Is 1t not ineligible that
our enemies declare that they will not
rest until a system is destroyed which
constitutes a permanent threatening
of our nelghbors? Must they not
otherwise fear that in a few years
they will again have to take UP arms
and again sec their provinces over
run and their towns and villages de-
stroyed? Were these people not right
who prophesied that the spirit OF
Treitschke and Bernhard dominated
the German people--the spirit which
glorifles war as an aim in itself and
does not abhor 1t as an evil that
among us 1t is still the feudal knights
and junkers and the caste of warriors
who rule and fix our ideals and our
values. not the civilian gentlemen
that the love of duelling, which In
spires our youths at the universities,
lives on in those who guide the for
tunes of the people? Had not the
events at Zabern and the parllamen-
tary debates on that case shown
foreign countries how civil rights and
freedoms are valued among us when
questions Of military power are on the
other side?
'Militarlsm. really a school for the
nation and an instrument Of policy,
makes policy into the instrument OF
military power, IL the patriarchal
absolutism of soldier kingdom rem
ders possible an attitude which would
not be permitted by a democracy.
which has disengaged itself from mill
tarv tunker influences.
THAT is what our enemies think
and that is what they are bound To
think when they sec that. in spite Of
capitalistic characterization. and IN
spite Of socialistic organization. the
living. as Friedrich Nietsche says,
are still governed by the dead The
principal war aim of our enemies. the
characterization OF Germany. will be
achieved
at IS 10 he remembered that these
words are not those OF an English
man. They are the words of one ot
the 'nohiest' OF the German nation, to
whom the German Emperor entrusted
the most important foreign post one
with whom William III. in his youth
was closely hefriended. And after the
publication Of the memorandum Herr
Won JagoW also appeared before the
public to make the attempt 10 defend
the policy ~ the German Empire, his
policy, in July, 1914. As he was tho
then responsible representative Of that
policy as secretary OF the German
foreign Office and In that defence was
forced TO profess, I agree in no man
ner with Germany in the widely pre-
vniling opinion that ENGLAND had lad
all the mines which led to the war On
the contrary, I believe In Sir Edward
Grey's peace love and his then earnest
wish to come to an agreement with
u.s.
"Who carries the blame that the
German people were g0aded into a
furious hate and thereby into a war
an!mus? Only those In the service o.
the tunker 0anded and INDUSTRIAL
who are the ruling military caste In
Germany. In control Of the Govern
ment, The pan-Germans In their
meealomanil are the ones wh1
brought about this calamity upon ths
German people. We will necessarily
frequently have to recur 10 this mat
ter, one Of the most important in the
worlds history. and will 70 our hes,
knowledge and ability g,ad'T- answer
questions by our readers in regard
thereto"