The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-25
ILL fight FOR
'ORMER KAISER
Plessen Declares Entente
)urt Would Be Devoid of
a Jurisdiction.
SlBlLITY
9srts His Majesty's" Most
Ardent Endeavor Was
for Peace.

h for Peace.
fBL ALFRED G. ANDERsEN.)
d Il Berlin, July 25.-(I. N. S.)-If
Tho ex-kaiser returns to Germany
\ from Holland many German
army officers will flight to their
/ death" to prevent the entente
powers from securing him for
h trial, according to Gen. Won
PIessen, who served the former
\ efsaperor for many years as per-
Z sonaI aide de- camp.
\ Cen. Won Plesson is regarded as
he of the most intimate friends Of
\ Ii exile and admitted that he had
I >en in constant correspondence with
/, HI1iam. These letters, however, did
n bNtouch on political subjects. Won
/ lessen insisted, but were friendly
1stles and were sent unsealed. Re-
4 8rding the offers of Field Marshal
on Hindenburg and Former chan
sI1or Won Bethmann- Holweg to
and trial for the ex-kliser, Won
a lessen declared that Hindenburg
as only morally responsible for the
ne- time emperor's military orders:
According to the German con-
Iftntion every governmental act of
hef ex-kaiser required the sanction
h HE chancellor in order to be valid"
LID Won Plessen.
Sole Legal Responsibility.
1.-THE chancellor therefore assumed
k1e legal responsibility.
I'rThere was no legal responsibility
rmilitaly commands on -he chief
f-staff of the armies in the field, but
bn Hindenburg was morally re-
bonsible for all military acts after
Hing charge of operations in
kiRust, 1916.
fFormer Chancellor Won Bethmann-
IoIlweg's offer was meant literally
hd was frank acknowledgment of
ltsponsibility, thereby taking a stand
Med on both truth and Justice. but
ke offer in no wise recognized the
hthority of the enemy tribunal.
I"Our former enemies know AS we'll
we do that there was war blame
h thei' side. but they would forget
keir responsibility in the caricafure
"a tribunal In which they are the
tosecutors and judge, and which
le British press which cynical frank
tss admits is to give the masses a
beatrical spectacle.
"Thc idea Of placing the former
Kaiser on trial before a tribunal
Is utterly devoid Of jurisdiction.
Its a wild, reckless, contemplate
Inotion, Unworthy of any decent
Blinking nation, and is morally
IinsuIting to our national pride.
FIT is built on the. foundation of
IL = -
kver up proven falsehoods"
| ASKED what German officers would
D nAfle event the former kaiser re-
ifned to Germany and the entente
|sisted upon his extradition. Gen.
bn Plessen answered.:
Revolution Destroyed Germany.
|aYou know the revolution de- |
|royed our splendid Germany. Ger |
Ian officers cannot tear out their |
I've and loyalty to their hereditary |
Nler and supreme war lord. Our |
arts are true to our military oath. |
\ cry cne of us. from field marshal |
he youngest lieutenant, would let |
In self be cut to pieces rather than |
brI nder the imperial master"
Ice Won Plessen declared that the !
|rfnt kaiser never mentioned ex-
|adit IN in his letters, hence he did
BIT kl Nv whether or not the erst-
hile ar lord was considering the
of offering to appear
b5untarily before an international
N Inal. He thought this improb-
H /, however, for the ex-kaiser
II tioned plans for the future such as
II ing a Dutch castle to live in.
yon Plessen denied that William Is
or broken down. but naturally he
plained, his majesty Is far from
yous.
The general admitted that the ex-
Users sons were legally entitled to
Institute for their father before an
court. but at the same
me he argued that an entente court
Guild not be legal.
"Can you offer proof that the ex-
User was not responsible for the
ltbreak of the war?" I asked Won
essen. He replied
M Wanted Peace"
{" For twenty-fi five years have been 4
His majesty's immediate service as
general. Before God and the
orld I can truthfully testify his most
dent endeavor has been to pre-
rye the peace Of his people and the
,rid. He was convinced that even
b most successful war meant de-
motion, owing to the suffering en-
He'd and the sacrifice he wished to
are Germany.
F'If William had not absolutely
Wanted to prevent war many ia
variable opportunities presented
to strike. The most
favorable was in 1905 when Rus
ia was defeated by Japan. That
This opportunity was not seized
was due primarily to Williams
|oye Of peace. During the critical
lays at the end Of July, 1914, the
smperor was very active in every
way to maintain peace, but his !
sfforts at mediation were frus-
rated by Russian mobilization.
our adversaries on their aIega-
ions were purely designed to )
Name Germany in order to JUS 4
ify unprecedented peace terms !
Which are irreconeilable with the t
lrmstiee and President Wilson's I
ourteen points"
Zen. Won Plessen is probably one 7
the most intimate friends of the
Kaiser living in Germany and his
ws may be said to be recognized
those held by the former lord. At I
present time the general is liv- +
4.