The Mena weekly star., 1919-05-15
GERMAN DOES NOT
 DENY WAR CRIMES
ant von Brockdorff- -Rantzau, Head Peace Delegation, However, De mands an Impartial Inquest
 Praises League.

Versailles, May s.--In his speech
 before the peace conference yesterday
 Count von Brockdorff -Rantzau, had
 of the German delegation said:
 Public opinion in all the countries
 of our adversaries is resounding with
 the crimes which Germany is said to
 have committed in the war.
 eve are ready to confess wrong
 that may have been done.
 ''We have not come here to belittle
 the responsibility of men who have
 waged the war politically and econom-
 ically or to deny any crimes which
 may have been committed against the
 rights of peoples. We repeat the declaration which has been made in the German reichstag at the begin ming of the war, that is to say, Wrong has been done to Belgium, and we are willing to repair it.
 Others Equally Guilty.
 But in the manner of making war also Germany is not the only guilty one. Every nation knows of deeds and of people, which the best nation als only remember with regret. do not want to answer by reproaches to reproaehes, but l ask them to remem- Der when reparation is demanded not to forget the armistice. It took us six weeks until we got it at last and six months until we came to know your conditions of peace.
 "Crime in war may not be excus- able, but they are committed in the struggle for victory and in the de- fense of national existence and pas sions are aroused which make the conscience of people blunt.
 "The hundreds of thousands of non- combatants who have perished since November Il by reason of the block ade were killed with cold deliberation after our adversaries had conquered and victory had been assured to them. Think of that when you speak of guilt and of punishment.
 Impartial Inquest Demanded.
 ''The measure of the guilt of all those who have taken part can only be stated by an impartial inquest before a neutral commission before which all the principal persons of the tragedy are allowed to speak and to which all the archives are open. We have de- manded such an inquest and we re- peat the demenad.
 In this conference also where we stand toward our adversaries alone and without allies we are not quite without protection. You yourselves have brought us an ally, namely, the right which is guaranteed by the treaty and by the principles of peace.
 .'The allies and associated govern ments have forsworn in the time be- tween the fifth of October and the fifth of November, 1919, a peace of violence and have written a peace of justice on their banner. On the fifth of October, 1918, the German govern ment proposed the principles of the President of the United States of 1 America as the basis of peace, and on the fifth day of November their sec retary of state, Mir. Lansing, declared | that the allied and associated powers agreed to this basis with two definite deviations.
 Wilson's Principles Binding.
 "The principles of President Wilson have thus become binding to both par ties of the warrior you as we'll as for us-and also our former allies. The various principles demand from us heavy national and economic sacri- fees, but the holy fundamental rights of all peoples are protected by this treaty. The conscience of the world is behind it. There is no nation which might violate it without punishment.
 "You will find us ready to examine ur this basis the preliminary peace wi ch you have proposed to us with a f intention of rebuilding in com n n work with you that which has been destroyed and repairing any wrong that may have been committed, the wrong to Belgium and to show D mankind new aims of po- liticai and social progress.
 League of Nations Praised.
 "Gentlemen, the sublime thought to be derived from the most terrible dis aster in the history of mankind is the League of Nations. The greatest progress in the development of man. kind has been pronounced and will make it's way. Only if the gates to the league or nations are thrown open to all who are of good will can the aim be attained and only then will the dead of this war hot have died in vain. The German people in their hearts are ready to take upon themselves their heavy lot, if the bases of peace which have been established are not any more shaken.
 'We shall examine the document handed to us with good will and in the hope that the final result of our in- teEview may be subscribed to by all of us"
 TAyORS COUNTRIES ENEMIES.