Evening star., 1921-03-15
CLAIM IS REFUTED
BY W|TTES BOOK
Former Kaiser Proposed Rus
so-German Alliance, Not
League of Nations.

NEW YORK, March 5.-The former
German emperor's proposal for a
league of nations. described In his
book written with the object of show
Ing that Great Britain was responsible
for the world war, excerpts of which
have been cabled from The Hague. Is
definitely challenged and contradicted
in the forthcoming memoirs Of Count
Witte. the noted Russian statesman.
The former German emperor asserts
that he proposed a league of nations
| consisting of the triple alliance and
| the French and Russian alliance. and
| that this proposal was accepted by the
Russian emperor and Count Witte.
After detailing in an earlier chapter
a proposal of the German emperor for
an offensive economic alliance be-
tween Russia and Germany against the
United States, Count Witte refers to
his so-called league of nations pro-
poSal.
Knlser's Statement to Witte.
In 1905 Count Witte saw the German
ruler on his way to Russia after nego-
tiating the treaty of Portsmouth, and
THEIR ldlh dSSuIHSu d Sell lCuS dSpSNI
Having referred briefly to my sue
cess at Portsmouth," says Witte. he
turned to the general political situa-
tion in Europe and reverted to our
Peterhof conversation. l reiterated
my profound belief in the desirability
main bodies polite Of Europe--Russia.
Germany and France-this rapproche-
ment tending to become A close union.
which. of course, would be Joined by
other European powers. Delivered
from the burden of military expendi-
lures. Europe would be enabled to
create mighty naval force which
would dominate the world. His majes-
ty assured me that he shared my views
and then declared that my scheme had
finally been carried into effect at his
meeting with Emperor Nicholas at
Bjorkoe. Having impaired to me this
extraordinary piece of news. his majes-
ty asked me whether I was satisfied
with this development. and. in my in
nocence. I replied that his words had
filled my heart with joy. We parted"
Upon his arrival in st. Petersburg
(Petrograd) Count Witte had an in
terview with Emperor Nicholas. His
majesty told me-" writes the count.
that he had received letter from
Emperor William. in which the Ger
man sovereign spoke of me in ad-
miring terms. He was glad, he add
cu, lHdl L Tue views iiiSii
were the foundation of his agreement
with Germany. concluded at Bjorkoe.
The text of this mysterious agree
ment. however, his majesty did not
show me.
"The next day I met Count Lams-
dorff, our minister of foreign affairs.
After the customary greetings and
congratulations he asked me. his
voice vibrant with Uncontrolled in
dignation:
DO you really. approve of the
II replied in the affirmative and
proceeded to unfold my views on the
desirability of an entente between
Russia. Germany and France, when
he interrupted me. saying:
"'But have you read the Bjorkoe
treaty."
II confessed that I had not. where
upon he handed me the text of the
document, saying that he had re-
ceived it only on the previous day
and bidding me read it. The count
looked profoundly excited and up
set. AS I read the document I un-
derstood the cause of his excitement
The substance of the agreement was
that Germany and Russia obligated
themselves to defend each other in
case Of war with any other European
power Gncluding France). Russia
pledged itself to make every e1ort
to gain France over to this union
(but whether this result was at
tanned, the agreement between the
two countries was. nevertheless,
valid).
Treaty AbroEnted.
"This is monstrous" I exclaimed.
The treaty dishonors US in the eyes
of France. Is it possible that all
this has been concocted without you
and that you knew nothing about il?
Count Lamsdorff repeated that
until the preceding day he had been
kept in complete ignorance OF the
".Does not his majesty know that
we have a treaty with France" I
asked.
"tOf course his majesty knows
that he replied, but the fact must
have slipped from his mind. or. what
is more probable. his brain was be-
fogged by Williams verbiage and he
failed to grasp the substance of the
matter
I'VE put our heads together to find
a way out of the difficulty"
1t was through the influence of
Count Witte and Count Iamsdorff
that the treaty was eventually abro-
gated.