The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-11-27
GERMAN WAR HISTORY.
Johannes Halter Places Responsibility
for German Defeat on the Aspect
Of the Policy Associated with
the Personal Influence Of
William III.

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Postwar German political literature
has almost entirely consisted oi
apologies and SPECIAL pleading, de-
signed to remove from the German
mind itself an uneasy consciousness Of
blood outlines, and also to impress
public opinion elsewhere whit a feeling
that, in the heat of conflict, the German
case did not receive fair examination
land that IL was really much better than
was imagined at the time.
Propaganda of this sort has exercised
Ia certain influence in this country,
especially, though not solely. upon the
type of politician who is determined to
find some excuse for believing that his
own government was IN the wrong and
1T has also produced in Germany state
of mind which il not helpful towards
an honest effort to fulfil the conditions
imposed By the treaty Of Versailles.
These conditions were ayowedly de
signed not merely 70 represent the nat
nral penalty Of defeat, but also to ex
press the feeling of the yictors towards
"a nation which had deliberately
plunged Europe into an unnecessary
war, and had conducted that war by
methods of barbarism. A belief '.iat
the main responsibility was not Ger
man must necessarily create or nourish
a sense 81, unjust treatment at Yer
sailles, and SO encourage attempts ait
dishonest evasion Of the treaty terms.
apart altogether from the admitted
possibility Of an honest failure to com
ply with them in full.
The propaganda has inevitably had
a monarchicai and dynastic tendency.
for. if Germany was not to blame, the
ex kaiser has been the victim and not
the cause of misfortune. and those who
repudiatedsh rule were acting merely
on the vulgar principle Of judging SOLE
III by success Of failure, and took npon
nm unfortunate emperor mean re
yengc for a catastrophe which was due
to the strength Of Germany enemies.
A German historian, Johannes Hal
Ter. has been bold enough to tell his
part, though only part of
the truth. Ia book on the admins
tration of Prince Bullow. Just published
at Stuttgart and Berlin. he places the
responsibility, not indeed for the war.
but for the German defeat upon the
aspect Of German policy which is most
closely associated with the personal
Of the ex-kaiser For the last /
fifty years. he argues, the existence Of /
a strong Germany was recognized /
British interest. and he is able to press /
home his point by the consideration /
that. since the fall of the German 1
Empire. Great Britain has found new
and unprecedented difficulties in rela
ton to the conduct of. European af
Tairs.
Successive British governments, he
admits. were all unwilling TO quarrel
With Germany. and he discounts anti
ierman campaigns in certain sections
II the British press, and refuses
o believe tiat trade rivalry was
likely to result in warfare Yet, be-
wecn 1900 and 1905, the rulers Of the
United Kingdom found themselves. Sin
obedience to necessity" compelled to
inter- into agreements whiCh were
lined against Germany.
The sole explanation. Herr Halter
elieves is to be sought in what he
escribes as the useless and senseless
menace of the German battleheet, an |
ffensiye weapon which in no way
prved the true interests Of Germany
he kaiser and CHANCELLOR received. in
905 and in the years that followed
farming after warning about the effect
T their policy. but they maintained il
nd extended its scope, thus rendering (
,evtable both the great war and the
erman defeat.
II is difficult for ms to realize that
leh view is novel in Germany, but
rat country was cut off from the
orld during the war and has been en-.
sged i'm reading its own numberless
oologies ever since 1914. Herr Haller's
,ok Is important as a blow directed
,ainst Vie legend which is still current
Germany. and as an Indictment of