The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-10-23
Ex-Emperor Blames Agitators
for Revolutions in Germany;,
Masses We're MisLed, He Says

caused the World War. Every one of
them knows the real inter-relation OF
events, and assuredly there never was
a case where so many augurs smiled
at each other over secret held in
common as the case of the responsi-
bility for the World War. In fact one
may even speak of a chorus OF such in
dividuals, since twenty-eigh nations
took part in the war against Germany.
| But, in the long run, not even the
shrewdest augurs will suffice to make
world history Truth will make its
way forward and thus Germany will
come into her rights.
The various stipulations of the Yer
sailles Treaty are in themselves null
and void, since they can be observed
neither by the Entente nor by Ger
many 1t has been possible for months
1 to note what difficulties are arising in
the path not only of Germany but of
the victors, as a result of such an ex-
travagant instrument.
In many ways the treaty has been
punctured by the Entente itself, and
/ for this, the reason is easily found. In
4 the present highly developed state of
the world, which rests upon free, sys-
! tematic exchange of material and in
tellectual property, regulated solely
by production itself, it is quite out of
the question for three memo mat
ter how eminent they may be-to sit
themselves down anywhere and dictate
paragraphed laws to the world. Yet,
that is what the Versailles Treaty
does, not only for Germany, but also,
j indirectly, for the Entente and Amer
ica, since all economic questions can
be solved by mutual not one-sided
action.
The life of nations is regulated al
ways-and most particularly in our
day-not by paragraphs, but simply
and solely by the needs of nations. It
is possible, to be sure, to do violence
to those national needs temporarily
by the imposition of arbitrary decis-
ions, but, in such cases, both parties
concerned must suffer.
I The world is in such a stage just
now. Conditions like those at present
cannot last; not guns, nor tanks, nor
squadrons of airplanes, can perpetuate
them Therefore, their removal has
already begun; for. if the peace of
Versailles were really such judicious
unimpeachable instrument, bringing
blessings upon the world, there would
not be constant need of new confer.
ences, discussions and meetings hav.
ing to do with this marvellous" docu.
ment. The constant necessity for new
interpretations is due, indeed, to the
fact that the needs of highly cultivated
and civilized nations were not taken
into account when the peace was con
cluded.
One must not be pharisaical, how.
ever; up to a certain point the extra
|, vagance of the terms imposed by the
victor after a life-and-death struggle
is a natural consequence of the relief
, felt at having escaped alive from dead
ly danger
! Nevertheless, | know that Germany
if we had emerged victorious from the
; war, would have imposed quite differ
} ent terms-i. e., terms that would
have been just and endurable. The
peace treaties of Brest-Litovsk anC
, Bucharest-which indeed are not at al
, comparable with the Treaty of Yer
: sailles-cannot be adduced against US
They were concluded in the very mids
J OF the war and had to include condi
} tions which would guarantee our safe
ty until the end of the war. Had i
t come to a general peace, the treaty
5 made by us in the East would have
! had far different aspect; had W,
: won the war, it would have been re
S vised by ourselves. At the time it wa
t made it was necessary to give prefer
e ence to military requirements
e But enlightenment regarding the ur
e just Treaty of Versailles is on tn
o way and the necessities of life anon
present-day nations will speak in i'm
perious tones to vjctors and var
|, quished.
l. After years of the heaviest trial vii
& come the liberation from a yoke i'm
l. posed unjustly upon a great, strong
; honest nation. Then every one OF u
s will be glad and proud again that h
o is German.
It The Revolution and Germany's Futur
d | do not care what my foes sa
y about me. ] do not recognize them a
l. my judges. When I see how the sam
& people who exaggeratedly spread il