The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-21
EX-EMPEROR ADMITS
AMERICA'S!E
DEFEATED GERMANY
CONTINUED from Page EIeven)


will forget that Mr.. Wilson, IMMERSED
in the ways of the world, was trapped
by Lloyd George and Clemenceau-
/ have met-particular1y at the Kiel
egattas-many American men and wo-
men whose political judgment and eau
ton would make it impossible for them
to approve such fragrant breach OF
faith as was committed by Mr.. Wilson,
because of its effect on American poll
teal prestige. 1t is upon such consul
erations of national egotism, not upon
any sort of sentimental considerations.
that l base my hope that eGrmany's
burden will be lightened from across
the ocean.
Besides the injustice of the aband-
onment of the Fourteen Points, it musI
also be remembered that Mr.. Wilson
was the first to demand Of the Ger
man reigning dynasty that it with
draw, in doing which he limited that,
we're such action taken, the German
people would would be granted bet
ter peace. Before the Government OF
Prince Max joined in the demand for
my abdication of the throne, which
it based on the same grounds as Mr.
Wilson-that Germany would thereby
get better terms-(prevention of civil
war was used as a second means OF
bringing pressure on melt was in
duty bound to fet some sort of a bind
ing guarantee from Mr.. Wilson. In
any event, the statments made, which
became continually more urgent and
pressing, contributed toward making
me resolve to quit the country, since
/ was constrained to belive that l
could render my country a great ser
vice by so doing.
Accepted "Sieht Unsen"
subordinated my own interests and
those of my dynasty, which certainly
were not unimportant and forced my
self, after the severest inward strug-
giles, to acquiesce in the wish of the
German authorities. Later it trans
pired that the German Government
had obtained no real guarantees. But
in the tumultuous sequence of events
during those days, it was necessary
for me to consider the unequivoca.
and definite announcement of the I'm
perial Chancellor as authoritive. For
this reason I did not investigate it.
Why the Entente demanded, through
Mr.. Wilson, that | should abdicate is
now obvious. 1t felt perfectly sure
that, following by being dispossessed
of the throne, military and political
instability would necessarily ensue iE
Germany and enable it to force upon
Germany not easier but harder terms.
At that time the revolution had not
yet appeared as an aid to the Entente.
For me to have remained on the
throne would have seemed to the En-
tente more advantageous to Germany
than my abdication. l myself agree
with this view of the Entente, now
that it has turned out that Max of Ba-
den Government had no substantial
foundation for it's declaration that my
abdication would bring better terms
to my fatherland.
| go even further and declare that
the Entente would never have dared
to offer such terms to an intact Ger
man Empire. 1t would not have dared
to offer them to an imperial realm up
on which the parliamentary system had
not yet been forced, with the help of
German Utopians, at the very moment
of its final fight for existence to a
realm whose monarchical Government
had not been deprived of the power
to command its army and navy.
In view of all this, heavy guilt also
lies on the shoulders of the American
ex-Ppresident as a result of his having
remanded my abdication under the pre-
tense that it would bring Germany bet
ter terms. Here also we certainly have
a point of support for the powerful lev.
er which destined to drag the Treaty
of Versailles from where it lies behind
lock and key. In Germany, however
Mr.. Wilson should never be confused
with the American people
In setting forth my political princi
pies in what follows | am actuated
solely by desire to contribute toward
proving Germany's innocence of hav
ing brought on the Worlds War.
From the outset of my reign German
policy was based upon compromise OF
the differences which it found existing
between nations. In its entirety there
fore, my policy was eminently peaceful
This policy Of peaceful compromise be
came apparent in internal politics al
the very beginning of my reign, in the
legislation desired by me for the pro
lection of the workers. The develop
ment OF social legislation, which
placed Germany at the head of civil!
lied nations in the domain of govern
mental protection, was based on like
foundation.
The fundamental idea of policy oil
compromise went so far within Ger
many that the strength of the ARM
would have remained far less than uni
versal compulsory military service ant
z-Hum MUNF.u1R IAN