Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-08
HEAD OF HUN DELEGATES
makes DEFIANT ANSWER
Uunt Brockdorff Asserts Germany
Not Alone Responsible
y 80 for War.
KNows HATRED OF ALLIES
Says S''Imperialism OF All European
Ststes" to Blame for Strife.
Claims Thousands of Non-Com-
batants Die From Blockade.

&C., VERSAILLES. May 7-Germany re-
fuses to confess that she alone is re-
( sponsible for the war. She admits that
4 her former Coyerrme:; Contributed
to the disaster" but claims that the
imperialism Of al European states"
Sts equally 10 blame. RuSsia'S mobiii-
Nzation. She asserts. was the immediate
Such. in suhstan nee. was the reply Of
Count Won Rrockdorff -Rantzau. head
OF the German peace delegation. to
ally imposed the war upon the world
such confession in my mouth
would be lie" said Count Brock
know the power of the German
arms is broken" he said. We know
counter here" He spoke in German.
The hundreds Of thousands OF non
com batants who have perishes since
the blockade" he said were killed
with cold elaboration after our ad-
SS sa hasn had e9nGnGrsd and victory
His speech was hitter and defiant.
The text is as follows:
has brought us hither to give dura-
bic peace TO the world.
We are under no illusion as to the
extent of our defeat and the degree
OF our want of power. We know that
the power of the German arms is brok-
en-.
Knows Power of Hatred.
"We know tho power OF the hatred
which. we encounter here. and have
heard tho passionate demand that tho
yanq9ishers may make us pay as tho
yanquished and shall punish those who
are worthy OF being punished.
1T is deina nded from us that &c
shall confess ourselves 10 he the only
sion in my mouth would be a lie We
are far from declining any responsible
has come to pass and that i, was made
in the way in when il was made ,'" 'e
The attitude OF the former German
government at the Hague peace con-
ference, its actions and omissions in
the tragic twelve DAYS OF July. 1914
have certainly contributed 10 the dis
aster.
y But we enerEctically deny that Ger.
many and It's people, who were con-
alone. arc guilty.
Nobody will want TO contend that
tne disaster took its course only in the
4 disa strons moment when the successor
Ito Austria -HunEary's throne fell the
victim OF murderous hands.
sss1'In the last nifty years the imperial
ESTABLISH OF all European states
has chronically poisoned the interna-
etaliation and the policy OF expansion
and the disregard of the rights OF the
i peoples TO determine their own dcs,i-
nies. has contributed TO the illness of
Europe which saw its crisis in the
world-war.
Blamcs Russian Activities.
Russian mobilization took from the
statesmen the possibility OF healing
and gave the decision into the hands
: of the military powers.
Public opinion in all the countries
of our adversaries is resounding with
the crimes which Germany is said to
have committed in the war. Here also.
we are ready to confess wrong that
may have been done.
I'VE have not come here to belittle
8 the responsibilities OF the men who
have wagcd the war politically and
economically and 10 deny any crimes
which may have been committed
against the rights OF peoples. We re-
peat the declaration which has been
made in the German Reichstag at the
beginning OF the war. that is TO say