The Washington herald., 1921-12-18

neld marshal assumes all reSponSl-
biIity.
Here is the Kaiser's reply:
Doom. Holland. Apri 5.
My Dear Field Marshal:
1T is very hard to live outside
my country. l watch with glowing
soul. however. the trials of my dear
Fatherland. MY decision to leave
Germany was a difficult and terrible
one. and I did ii only on the urgent
advice of yourself and other ad-
visers, who told me that this was
the only way to give our people
more favorable armistice terms and
save Germany from bloody civil
war. But my sacrifice has been in
vain.
Il recognize no mortal judge.
however high, since to do so would
he to sacrifice the honor and dig
nifty of the German nation. 1t is
beneath my dignity to answer the
lies, ISLANDERS and calumnies charg-
ing me with guilt for war. The
truth will break through like an
avalanche. God is my judge that
wanted peace. The sacrifice is too
big for me. but 1 refuse to be tried
by a league of my enemies.
Says Truth Must Come Out.
1T was in conformity with my at
titude OF aloofness that l preserved
the strictest objectivity in regard to
the historical tables you mention.
am completely at A loss to explain
how they found their way into the
press. Was it indisCretion, or theft?
The motive by which l was guided
in assembling these historical tables
was to enable the reader to form his
own Judgment on the historical events
leading up to the war-this by max
ing a systematic enumeration Of the
sober facts and dealing with strictly
historical material
"As a matter Of fact my best and
most convincing sources have been
from literature found in enemy coun-
tries. l am. therefore, glad that you
find that these tables. now completed,
he made accessible to the German
press, which suggestion | shall follow.
Truth, like an avalanche, will make
its, way powerfully and irrCsistibly.
Anyone who does not willingly close
his mind to truth against his better
knowledge, must admit that during
awCnty-five years of my reign preced-
ing the war Germany's foreign policy
was directed essentially towards the
maintenance Of peace. Its sole and
only endeavor was to protect the
sacred soil Of the Fatherland.
Did Not strike In 1900.
Threatened from the East and
West as well. 1t was necessary to
safeguard our peaceful develop
ment Had we ever had warlikc in
tentiOns. we would have struck the
blow in 1900 when England was en-
gagged in the Boer war, or in 1905
when Russia was involved with ia
pan and practically certain vic
tory beCkOned us.
But we most assuredly would
not have chosen 1919 when an over
whelminE combination Of powers
was united against US. Every pref
udiCed person must also say that
Germany had nothing to gain by
such a war, whereas our enemies
hoped for everything from their
long determined will for our ami
hilatiOn.
Procedure which is directed sole
" against the head of one of the
states participating in the war. ji-
vests that state Of every right of
equality with other states. and Of
its prestige in the community Of
nations.
Moreover. this guilt and punish
create an impression intended by the
enemy that in he entire question of
guilt only this one head of state. and
the one nation which he represents.
is concerned. In addition to this,
nonpartisan. judgment on guilt is
preCluded if the procedure is not ex-
tended to the heads of states and
leading statesmen OF enemy coun-
tries as we'll
a genuine clearing up of this
guilt question: in which Germany
assuredly would have no less in
terest than her enemies. could only
he conducted in such a way that
not the individual persons would be
convicted, but that all tire events
that led up to the world wa. as
well as all other violations of irter-
national law, would also be estab-
lished.
Moreover. Germany opened her ar
chives unreservedly Immediately after
the close Of the war. whereas the
enemy league has taken good care
not to follow this example The
first beginning in this dire, ~ is
the publication Of secret 3oou~.ents
from the Russian state archives. now
being published in America.
This attitude on the part of the
enemy league in addition to the
overwhelming incriminatory evil
. dence constantly appearing gives an
indication where the guilt for war
is really to be looked for.
1T is all the more Germans duty
10 use all the resources at her com
mand to collect, to sift and publish
all material concerning this guilt
and thereby unmask the real insti-
gators.
"A change for the wSse has I'M
fortunately taken place in her
matestys condition. Ny heart is
breaking with the most painful
anxiety. God be with MS.
(Signed) WILHELM"
Copyright. 1921