Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-09

the power of the hatred which We en-
counter here, and we have heard the
passionate demand that the vanquish-
ers may make US pay as the van
pushed, and shall punish those who
are worthy of being punished.
Refuses 10 Confess Guilt.
1T is demanded from us tina. we
shall confess ourselves to be the only
ones guilty of the war Such con
fessiou in my mouth would be a lie
We are far from decl ming any re-
sponsibility that this great war of the
world has come to pass and that it
was made in the way in which it was
made. The attitude of the former
German government at the Hague, its
/ actions and omissions in the tragic
twelve days OF July have certainly
contributed to the disaster But we
energetically deny that Germany and
its people, who were convinced that
they were making war of defense,
were alone guilty.
Nobody will want to contend that
the disaster took its course only in
the disastrous moment when the sue
cessor to the throne of Austria Hun
gary fell the victim Of murderous
hands. In the last fifty years the i'm
perialsm of all the European states
has chemically personified the inter-
national situation. The policy of re-
taliation and the policy of expansion
and the disregard Of the rights OF
peoples to determine their own desti-
ny have contributed to the illness of
Europe, which saw its crisis in the
world war
Russia took from the statesmen
the pcsslb llty of healing and gave the
decision into the hands of the mill
tary powers. Public opinion in all the
countries of our adversaries is re-
sounding with the crimes which Ger
many is said to have committed in the
war. Here also we are ready to con
Tess wrong that may have been done
Admits Belgium Wronged
we have not come here to belittle
the responsibility of the men who
have waged the war politically ami
economically, or to deny any crimes
which may have been committed
against the rights Of peoples. We re-
peal the declaration which has been
made in the German reichstaE at the
beginning of the war that is to say.
wrong has been done to Belgium
and We are willing to repair it.
But in the manner of making war
also Germany is not the only guilty
one. l do not want to answer by re-
proaches to reproaches, but l ask
them to remember when reparation is
demanded not to forget the armistice,
II took us six weeks until we got it at
laSt ana six months until we came to
know your conditions of peace.
Grimes in war may not be eXcus-
able, but they are committed in the
struggle for victory and in the defense
of national existence and passions are
aroused which make the conscience of
people blunt.
THE hundreds of thousands of nom
contestants who have persisted since
November II, by reason of blockade
were killed with cold deliberation aft
er our adversaries had conquered and
victory had been assured to them.
Ihlnk of that when you speak of guilt
and of punishment.
The measure of guilt on all those
Wllo have taken part can only be stat
ed by an impartial inquest before
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 this demand
Appeals to Wilson.
In this conference also where we
stand toward our adversaries alone
and without any allies we are not
quite without protection. You your !
selves have brought us an ally namely !
the right which is gained by the treaty !
and by the principals of peace.
The allies and associated govern
ments have foresworn in the time be-
tween the 5th of October and the 5th |
of November, 1918, a peace of violence |
and have written a peace of justice |
on their banner On the 9Th of Octo- |
Der, 1918, the German government |
proposed the principles of the presi- ,
dent of the United States, of peace, |
and on the 5th of November their sec
rotary of war, Mr.. Lansing, declared |
that the allied and associated gov
ernments agreed to this basis with |
two definite deviations
THE principles of President Will
son have thus become binding to both |
parties to the WARRIOR you, as well
as for us and also for our former al
lies. The various principals demand |
from us heavy national and econo-
mic sacrifices but the holy fundamen-
tai rights of all peoples are protected