The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-01-03
Innate Americas strength in the con

mate Americas strength in the con | f1ict.
 One of the most famous utterances | during the war was that concerning "a scrap of paper as regarded the | treaty guaranteeing the neutrality of 1 Belgium. This treaty was so char | acterized by von Bethmann-Ho1lweg l during an interview which the then chancellor had with Sir Edward Cos chen, the British ambassador to Ger many. Speaking with great irritation, the chancellor expressed his inability to understand Great Britain's attitude with regard to Germany'S attack on Belgium.
 @I found the chancellor very much agitated,'' said Sir Edward afterwards 1 writing of the interview. His ex- which lasted about twenty minutes. 1 He said the step taken by his macs | tvs gov~-~ .nlent was terrible to a de- gree.
 Just for a word-'neutralty'- word which in war time had so often been disregarded-ust for scrap of paper'-Great Britain was going to mae war on a kindred nation, which desired nothing more than to be friends with her.
 Sir Edward replied in effect that he 1 understood the Ghancellors inability to comprehend the British action, but that Great Britain attached impor- l tance to the scrap of paper" because it bore her signature. as well as that l of Germany
 "Our troops have occupied Luxem- 1bourg and perhaps have also found it necessary to enter Belgian territory contrary to international law. We know, however, that France was ready to invade Belgium France could wait. We could not as France could invade our lower Rhine flank, which would prove fatal:
 "So we were forced to disregard the protests of the Luxembourg and Belgian governments. We shall try to make good the injustice We have committed as soon as our military goal has been reached"
 He was chancellor of Germany from July 14, 1909, to July IA, 1917. He was succeeded in the office of Dr. l George Michaelis, an appointee of the former kaiser. It was said that von Bethmann-Hollweg was forced out of office through the efforts of the mil itarists, headed by Hindenburg and Ludendorf, largely because of his "secrap of paper statement and his admission that the German invasion Of Beig1um was unjust The former chancellor had on esvera1 occasions issued statements blaming the mili- tarists for the war, these appearing in 1916 and 1917, while in the two years previous he had frequently de- claded that England alone was re- sponsible.
 
 throughout the world in June, 1919, when he formally asked the allied and associated powers to put him on trial instead of the former kaiser. The supreme council decided to ignore his request. He was often mentioned as among those who might be tried by 7 the allies for political offenses in 7 connection with the origin Of the war. His national activities before 1914
 were marked by his strong opposi- tion to characterization of Germany.
 At times he was sharply outspoken in
 his defiance of socialism and he re-
 Jected any move to make himself and
 the other German ministers responsi- !, ble to the Reichstag. In the early 4 stages of the war, however, he be- 1 came known as moderate. Late in
 1919 report from Geneva said he was 1 credited in diplomatic circles there as
 being at the bottom of a monarchist
 movement in favor of both the Ho-
 henzol1erns and Hapsburgs, the nuc.
 leus of which was said to be under
 way in Switzerland
 On several occasions during his
 tenure of office he threw out peace
 feelers, particularly iii 1916 when he
 invited the allies to enter negotia-
 tions. All of his overtures contained | only the vaguest indications regard , ing the German attitude on a peace
 settlement and they were rejected
 It was following the failure of hi. , peace efforts in December, 1916, that ! he endorsed unlimited submarine
 warfare.
 He was born in 1856. the son ot l Matthias A. von Bethmann-Hollweg g
 professor of civil law at Bonn, and 2
 grandson of a member of the Jewish n banking family of von Bethmann o n Frankfort. He was educated at the y Pforta Gymnasium, and at the uni t versailles of Strasburg, Leipsic ane i Berlin. Entering the PruSsian ad - ministrative service in 1882, he rose = to the position of president of the Il province of Brandenburg in 1899. II q 1905 he was appointed Prussian min = ister of the interior, and two years = later became imperial secretary O n the interior and vice president of tht G Prussian ministry of state, of whict .- the chancellor was president. He sue q ceeded Prince von Buelow when h. V became imperial chancellor in 1909. After his retirement from office, h.
 took up his residence at Hohenfinow 'l the estate near Eberswalde, twenty laS Of 1ri xxrha h i