The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-05-11

and the Americans, and / think that
this is because we refuse to have
anything to do with them except in
en- official capacity. The French are
different in this respectfully seem
to take great delight in going about
provoking the German officers and
soldiers they pass on the street by
giving them a more or less sarcastic
look and by sort OF paying attention
to them without talking to them. This
does not seem to worry the Germans
as much as the fact that the English
and Americans go about as il the
Germans did not exist.
] know Of one exception in the case
OF the English and that is in connec-
ton with a story they told OF an
English Tommy on duty at Spa with
the British armis:ice commission.
This incident to which l have refer
ence. took place on a path in Spa
between a German officer and
British Tommy. They were both
proceeding down the path from OPP
posite directions, the German officer
receiving the shock OF his life when
the Tommy did not step out OF his
way to let him pass. AS is expected,
the Prussian made some caustic re-
mark and asked the Tommy il he
wanted the whole path. The Tommy
replied,
Sure, we won it,"
1t is curious after the matter OF
fact attitude that Harden takes re-
garding Germany's future to hear
what Herr RRthenau. head of the Ger
man General Electric Company. has
to say. He thinks that Germany is
ruined for generations to come. He
figures a great immigration tide OF
Germans to South America. the Far
East. and Russia. He figures a big
decrease in the German population
due to lack OF raw materials, food,
big indemnity and the losing OF AL
SAGE Lorraine. He sees no future for
Germany because she has nothing
with which TO enlarge her business
organization on account of the huge
indemnity with its repaymsnts and
interest that she must make for the
next twenty-five years to France and
the allied nations.
The only result that I was able to
obtain regarding the state OF mind
II the Germans through interviews
that had myself and from informa-
ton obtained from interviews which
they gave to other representatives of
the various allied missions in Ger
many was that everybody else was
to blame for the war except Ger
many The ex-secretsry of state,
Zimmerman. stated that his private
opinion was that Russia was the
principal cause OF the war because
she wanted supremacy in the Balkans
and desired OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES this
nation had exercised great influence
over SerVia and promising her GER
tain parts Of the Austria Hungarian
country as a tool.
He said that Russia wanted most
to crush Austria and that proofs Of
this were found in documents dis
covered in Belgrade. l imagine, il
admission could be obtained to the
foreign office on Wilhelmstrasse. sur
ficient proof could be found in docu-
ments kept there that would show
Germany had devised means by
which she would crush Austria-Hun-
gary II she did not side with the Hun
military party. He thinks England
did not want the war at all and that,
II Russia had not interferred in Ger
many's attempt to confine the conflict
to Austria and SeTEia, the war would
not have taken on the huge size that
il did. The ex-secretary OF state said
IL vas Germany's endeavor to have
matters settled directly between Aus
tria and Russia, but that Edward
Gray wanted the situation settled In
London. When Gray finally yielded
to the German wishes. Il was to-
late. Zimmerman thinks If Gray had
worked as energetically at ST. Peters
burg, where England had great in
huence, as Germany did at Vienna
the war could have been avoided.
sOme OF ZimRerRRH'G Views.
Adding further, he stated that he
felt the Pan-Germans had no influ-
ence on the government. although
there was always a struggle between
the civil and military authorities. Tho
latter party would have taken Liege
from Belgium IL Germany had won
the war, and II Germany had won the
war the civil party would not have
absorbed Belgium, but would have en-
tered into an alliance with her. No