South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-23

amounted 20 we ndd not KNOWN ]
In London. except that It included
an increase in battleships. but tho
emperor handed me at this meeting
confidential copy OF the draft of
the proposed new Fleet Law, with
an intimatton that he had no oo5ec-
ton 10 my communicating It private
~ TO my colleagues.
was careful 70 abstain even from
looking at II then, for I saw that.
from its completely and bulk, II
would require careful study. So
simply put II in my pocket. But
repeated what I had said TO the
chancellor, that the necessity for
secure recommendations rendered
II necessary for me TO be able TO pro-
tect ourselves on the seas. Germany
was quite free TO do as she pleased,
but so were we, and we should prob
ably lay down two keels for every
one which she added to her pro-
gram. The initiative in slacken-
Ing competition was really not with
Va but with Germany. Any agree
ment for settling our differences and
introducing a new spirit into the
SUN. LORD HALDANE GAIL p
relations of the two nations would
be bones without flesh If Germany
began by fresh shlpbuilding.
Discuss Admiralty Program.
We then discussed the proposal
Of the German admiralty for a new
program. Admiral Won Ttrpitz strug-
gled for il I insisted that funda-
mental modification was essential II
better relations were TO ensue. The
tone was friendly but I felt that 1
was up against the crucial part OF
my task The admiral wanted US
/ to enter into some understanding
about our own shipbuilding. He
thought the two-power standard a
+ hard one for Germany, and indeed,
I Germany could not make any ad-
mission about IL.
/ I said IL was not matter for ad-
mission. They were free and so
were we. and we must for the sake
OF our safety remain so. The idea
! then occurred 10 us that, as we
should never agree about it, We
should avoid defining a standard
proportion in any general agreement
that we might come TO. and. indeed.
saw nothing in IL about shipbuilding;
but that the emperor should an
nounce to the German public that
| the agreement on general questions,
| IL we should have concluded one,
had entirely modified his wish fol
the new fleet law. and as originally
conceived, and that it should be
| delayed, and future shipbuilding
should at least be spread over a
/ longer period.
The emperor thought such an
| agreement would certainly make a
/ great difference, and he informed
me that his chancellor would pro-
pose to me a formula as a basis for
I il. l said that 1 would see the chan
/ ceIlor and discuss a possible for
mula, as well as territorial and other
/ questions with him, and would then
return TO London, and report to the
king (from whom I had brought
him a special and friendly message)
and to my colleagues the good dis
position l had found, and leave the
difficulties about shipbuilding. and.
indeed, all othor matters to their
judgment.
Bethmann-H ollweg's Formula.
I had other interviews the next
day, but the only one which is i'm
portant for the purpose of the pres
ent narrativ was that at my final
meeting with the German chancel-
Tor on the SATURDAY (Feb. 1O).
/ pressed on him how important II
was for public opinion and the peace
Of the world that Germany should not
force us into a shipbuilding compe-
tition with her. a competition In
which II was certain that we should
have to spare no effort to preserve
our margin OF safety by greater
increase.
He did not controvert my sugges-
ton. could see that personally he
was OF the same mind. But he
said that the forces he had TO con-
tend were almost insUperable. The
question OF a retardation of build
ing under the proposed fleet law
was not susceptible of being treated
apart from that OF the formula OF
which he and the en- peror had both
spoken. He suggested that we might
agree on the following formula:
1. The high contracting powers
assure each other mutually of their
desire for peace and friendship.
2 They will not, either Of them,
make any combination, or Join in
any combination, which is directed
against the other. They expressly
declare that they are not bound by
any such combination.
8. If either OF the high contract
ing parties became entangled in a
war with one or more other powers,
the other of the high contracting
parties will at least observe toward
the power so , 1tangled a benevolent
neutrality. and use its utmost en-
deavour for the localization OF the
conflict.
l. The duty OF neutrality which
arises from the preceding article
has no application in so far as il
may not be reconcniable with ex-
Istins agreements which the high
contracting parties have already
made The rlaking OF new agree
ments which make it impossible for