The Washington times., 1919-12-28
Telegram Was Concealed

was fully realized by the kaiser
That he believed his own subjects
would not approve of it is indicated
by the fact that the very existence
of the Cars telegram begging foI
arbitration was concealed from them
The telegram found no place in any
Of the white, red, or yellow books is
sued at any time during the war by
the German government.
Yet. as is pointed out by Karl Kaut-
sky, Socialist deputy, who made an
official investigation Of the files OF
the German foreign office for the
German republican government to
establish responsibility for the war,
the former Emperor made this epoch
marking action almost flippantly.
Had Report On Snrajevo.
Furthermore, Kautsky shows. when
the kaiser did so he had before him,
ar at least at his command, a report
made by a special investigator for
the Austrian government completely
generating the Serbian government
from any knowledge of or participa-
ton in the Staying Of Archduke Ferdi-
nand at Serajevo.
This assassination was the preteXt
upon which Emperor William induced
the Austrian government to send an
ultimatum purposely worded in such
drastic terms that it could not be ac-
cepted or even considered by Serbia.
In a conversation with Sir Edward
Goschen, the British ambassador at
Berlin, on July 20, Won Bethmann
Hollweg, German minister for foreign
affairs, stated that Germany did not
purpose to retain any French terri
tory should war result in victory for
her.
Notes OF HOlIweg
Neither, he said, would she violate
the neutrality or integrity of Hol-
land. But he foreshadOwed German
invasion of Belgium by alluding to
Belgium in a more qualified way than
to Holland. He merely promised that
Belgium's integrity should she remain
neutral, would not be questioned after
the war.
Won Bethmann HoIlweg's notes on
this conversation with GOschen re-
veaIs a. curious state of mind. 1t is
evident that he rewrOte them several
times.
Hollweg, Kautsky deduces. was
intensely anxious to keep England
out of the conflict, but hesitated to
tarist party in Germany would feel
was enoughe
Wrote Version in English.
So he crossed out the second ver-
ison and wrote a third one, this time
in English:
"The assurance of neutrality in the
present conflict by England would
enable me to general neutrality
agreement in the future of which IT
would be premature to discuss the de-
tails in the present moment"
The only pledge that might have
kept England out Of the war
Kautsky observes, would have been
German acknow ledEment of Brit
ish supremacy sea and definite
curtaiIment of naval armament by
Germany. HoIlweg's notes show that
he had such an offer in mind. but
could not pluck up the courage to
come out with it.
Prince LichnOwsky, German am
bassador in London, reported this fact
to Berlin on July 90, the same day
Hollweg had his conference with Sir
Edward Goschen.
Kaiser Annotated II.
Kautsky found a report from Lich-
nowsky, heavily annotated by the
Kaiser.
"Sasonoff was to have said that
after Austria's declaration of war
against Serbia" Lichnowsky wrote
"he could no longer treat with Austria
directly and asked London to resume
negotions Gin spite of the Cars ap-
peal made to me! Thus / am being
showed aside") noted Wilhelm
Before entering into these nego-
tiations the Russian government cx-
poets a temporary cessation of hos.
tilities.
Sir Edward Grey repeats his sug-
gestions, already reported, that we
should join in such an Intervention,
as we had previously accepted the
proposition. To him a convenient