The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-29
HOLLWEG TAKES
RESPONSIBILITY
FROM EX-KAISER
Aged Former Chancellor
Protests Trial of German
Ruler or Officers.
WAR WON BY AMERICA
Hopes United States Will
Realize It's Duties in
Wake of Victory,
SEES NO HOPE IN LEAGUE
SEES NO HOPE IN LEAGUE
Recalls Roman History to
Show Revenge by Victors
Cannot Enforce Peace.
by KARL II. Won WIEGAND.
stag Correspondent o. THE sUS.

by KARL II. Won wIEGAND.
sta6 Correspondent Of TuE sUS.
Copyright. 1919 all rights reserved.
HoHENVINow, Germany, July. 20
! delayed FINDER the Constitution
of the German Empire" said DIR.
Theobald Won Bethmann-H Hollweg in
an interview to-day, the first granted
to foreign correspondent by the for
mer Imperial Chancellor since he
went out of office in the summer Of
1917, "the Chancellor and not the
Kaiser carries political responsibility
for acts Of the State and for the ma
tional policies entered upon.
"No decree or policy could go into
effect without the counter signature or
approval of the Chancellor. l ac-
cepted that responsibility; have
never sought to evade 1t. The League
of Nations ostenslbly was created,
among other purposes, to enforce q
higher regard for the sacredness of
international treaties and to protect
such treaties against violence. Will
the league begin it's existence by mega
tiving its own avowed aim and purpose
with the demand that Holland shall
disregard her treaty obligations or
with a violation of her sovereignty
For to give up the Kaiser on the de-
mand Of the Allies would constitute
violation Of treaty stipulatlons be-
tween Holland and Germany"
spent seven hours with Ger
many's war Chancellor. Like Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg, he insisted
that the part of his talk to be pub
lished should consist chiefly Of his
views on the demand, for the former
Kaiser and his own responsibility for
the political policies Of Wilhelm II.
Merciless with His Blue Pencil.
Won Bethmann-H Hollweg always
edits his own utterances and his use
Of the blue pencil would excite ad-
miration in many American editorial
rooms. He is merciless with his own
writings when he takes up the edi-
torial pencil.
From the railroad station at Me
derfnow we drove to his $500 acre
estate, Hohenfinow, two hours from
! Berlin. The road wound between
waving grain fields and past flocks OF
geese through avenues Of odorous
lime trees. Sitting in the large IL
brary of his manor house, two and q
half centuries old, surrounded by
many hundreds Of books which are
eloquent of the studious inclinations
of the former Chancellor, Won Beth,
mann-Hollweg said:
"When I think of the armist4ce and
the peace of Versailles there persis-
tently comes to my mind an incident
Of the days Of Rome. You know how
Carthage fell. You know that through
ambiguous words and promises in
answer to their plea for peace the
Carthaglnians were induced to make
themselves defenceless, and once de-
fenceless they were annihllated."
With that the former Chancellor
came TO Americas part in the war.
"On the field of battle 1t was the
Americans who decided the issue for
the Entente and gave them victory,
but the terrible misuse of that vic
tory they did not hinder" he declared.
ITO demand the former Kaiser and
the German officers after so heroic a
struggle for the existence Of their
country is not what I believe Is called
in your country playing the gnme 1t
is not In accord with that spirit OF
fairness In which Americans always
have taken pride.
America Takes Responsibility.
Although her Intervention in the
war in Europe was decisive, the char
acter Of that Intervention and the
new turn In history which America s
entrance effected will place upon the
American people no small part of the
responsibility for the consequences
and the trend of events which will
] follow.
Upon America now depend % q
large extent the developments in the
world after the war which your coun-
try decided, not the least Of which is
whether sentiments of equity and
justice or Of hatred and revenge shall
prevail in the future between the
European peoples.
do the American people realize
that such world victories carry tre-
mendous responsibilities in their wake
for the victors? Will the American
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