The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-27
-DJTTCH INCIDENT A MYSTERY

- cannot agree with the diplomatists that Count Burian's peace note rem, dered mediation by the Queen of the Netherlands impossible. It made 1t
 more difficult. but did not exclude it by
 any means. Above all, l cannot under
 stand why Dutch mediation was not
 sought before the publicatio of Count
 Rurian's note for which there would
 have been timo enough.
 don't believe that Secretary von
 Hintze seriously discussed the matter
 with the Dutch Ambassador in Berlin.
 In those days I no longer concerned
 myself to any extent with military
 political questions.
 Secretary von Hintze discussed the
 Polish question with G. Fl. e. on iina
 laid down by the Chancellor. I replied,
 as my duty dictated, and gave him my
 views. In communication dated
 August 2S, after conferring with a
 Polish gentleman in Berlin. the Secre'
 tary of State placed definite proposals
 before us, as to how Poland might best
 be constituted and our relations with
 that state might be governed. He par
 ticularly wanted to give Wilma to Pol
 and as it would always constitute
 foreign element in any Lithuanian state: Poland must certainly undertake to fulfil certain conditions, particularly the military convention, to our com plete satisfaction.
 G. H. O. replied on August 30, signi- fying their agreement with the Secre- tary, and calling attention to certain points which had been raised in the previous discussNRs of which he might l be unaware.
 1 We laid stress, for example, ih the | interest. of our economical and mili- | tnrv policy, on the necessity of a rniI- way alliance with Poland. and of in-
 surfing safe communication through l Poland to Russia.
 WANTED TO TIE UP POLAND 1 I considered it essential. too, that the | fulfilment of Poland's obligation should be. more closely secured in some way, for \ could not overcome my mistrust t lof that country. Wilma had formerly | been promised to the Luthuanians by ! the Chancellor. It was to be feared l that they would very naturally regard ] the cession to Poland as breach of l faith. It was a matter for the Foreign Office to take steps to avoid the disad- 1 vantages resulting therefrom. l With regard to Lithuania. even after l this serior. mulilation. was still of the same opinion. and emphasized the l necessity of attaching 1t as . self-Eov- ! erning state to Germany or Prussia ] through personal union. Torn from It's context, this minute was urged i'm the l ReichstaC to convict of muddled 1 political thought.
 , The story of its origin is simple, but l it is not clear how it came to be pur- | Joined from the foreign office plans ] should be followed as long possible. | provided ds.nage in other directions does not result therefrom, which there I was in this case no ground to fear. | Tn this instance the policy of the For eign Office was sound, and my position
 quite correct.
 | Form the same point of view We were at that time in favor of the for l nation of a Baltic state and the settle ment of the question of the Finnish l throne according to Finiands desires. (The Kaisers brother-in-law had been | put on the Finnish throne.)
 | WANTED TO CRUSH RUMANlA Conditions in Rumania were also dis ' cussed with Secretay yon Hintze. The l obvious military superiority of the En-
 tente had strongly affected the govern