The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-07
BY WILHELM HoHENzoLLERN

SeuuluS Oh SlF ERNEST CdSSeI Win a
verbal note in which England offered
TO remain neutral in case of an ''un-
provoked" attack upon Germany, pro
vided Germany agreed to limit her
naval construction program and to
drop her new naval bill, the latter be-
ing darkly limited at Owing to our
favorable answer to this Lord Haldane
was entrusted with the negotiations
and sent to Berlin The negotiations
finally fell through owing to the con-
stantly more uncompromising attitude
of England (Sir E. Cray, who finally
disavowed Lord Haldane and with
drew his own verbal note, because
Grey was afraid to offend the French
by a German-English agreement and
jeopardize the Anglo-French-Russia
understanding.
Here are the details of the case:
On the morning of Jan. 20, 1912,
Herr BALM had himself announced to
me at the palace in Berlin and asked
FOR an audience. / assumed that 1t
was case of belated birthday greet
Ing, therefore / was not little as
tonished when BALM, after a short
speech of congratulation, said that he
had come as an emissary Of Sir Ernest
Cassel, who had just arrived in Berlin
on a special mission and wished to be
received.
I asked whether it was a political
matter, and why, if so, the meeting
had not been arranged through the
English Ambassador. Ballin's answer
was to the effect that, from hints
dropped by Cassel, he knew the mat
ter to be Of great importance, and the
explanation for Cassers acting with
- s-,+ to-, Of no u q { c a
dor was because the earnest desire
had been expressed in London that the
Official diplomatic representatives,
both the English and the German,
should not be appraised Of the affair.
| declared that / was ready to re-
ceive Cassel at once, but added that,
should his mission have to do with
political questions, / should imme-
diately summon the Chancellor, since
| was a constitutional monarch and
not in a position TO deal with the rep
resentative of a foreign power alone
without the Chancellor.
Balm fetched Cassel, who handed
me a document which, he stated, had
been prepared with the approval and
knowledge of the English Govern
ment." l read the short note through
and was not a little surprised to see
that / was holding in my hand form
al offer Of neutrality in case Germany
became involved in future warlike
complications, conditioned upon GER
tain limitations in the carrying out
of our program of naval construction,
which were to be the subject of NUT
ual conferences and agreements. Walk
ing with Balm into the next room, l
handed over the document for him to
read After he had done so both of us
exclaimed in the same breath:
"a verbal motel"
1t was plainly apparent that this
verbal note" was aimed at the forth
coming addition to our naval law and
designed in some way to delay or frus-
trate it. No matter how the matter
was interpreted, l found myself con-
fronted with a peculiar situation,
which also amazed BALM. 1t remind.
ed me of the situation at Cronberg-
F'riedrichshof in 1905. when l was
Obliged to decline the demand, made
to me personally by the English under
secretary, Hardinge, that we should
forego our naval construction.
Surprise at British Note.
Now. an intimate business friend OF
Edward VII appears, without previous
announcement through official diplo
matte channels, before the German
emperor with verbal note" inspired
by the English government, with ex
plicit instructions to evade all the
diplomatic officials of both countries
He hands over an offer from the Eng
lish government to maintain neutrality
in future warlike complications pro
vided certain agreements regarding
limitation of naval construction are
made. And this is done by England
the mother of "Constitutionalism"
When l pointed this out to BALM, he
exclaimed: Holy Constitutionalism!
What has become of you? That is
personal politics with a vengeance!'
1 agreed with Balm to send at once
for Herr Won Bethmann, in order tina
he might learn what was transpirin&
and decide what to do in this peculiar
situation.
Bethmann was called up on the
telephone and soon appeared. AT frs
the situation aroused in him likewise
a certain degree of establishment; i
was interesting to watch the play o
EXPRESSION on his face as he was tolC
about the matter. The Chancellor sug
rested that Grand Admiral Won Tirpit!
also be summoned, for the proper dis
Matching of the business, and recon
mended that an answer be drawn III
in English, in the same manner ant
form as the note delivered by Cassel
and that it be handed to Sir Ernes
! who wished to return home that night
English was chosen because Their
was fear of obscurity and misunde1
standing if the note were Translates
in London.) The Chancellor asked mi
To draw up the note, since l knew Eng
Iish best After some objection l hat
to make up my mind to be myself tn
writer of the answer.
And now the following scene tool
place:
sat at the writing table in the ad
jutants room; the other gentlemel
stood around me. ] would read a ser
tence from the note aloud and sketcl
out an answer, which was. in turf
read aloud Then criticisms wer
made from right and left: one though
the sentence too complaisant, anothe
too abrupt; it was thereupon remoC
eled, recast, improved and polished
The Chancellor particularly subjecte
my grammar and style to much tol
ture, owing TO his habit of probin
things philosophically to his method
of profound thoroughness, whic
caused him to be most particular wit
every word, in order that it, havin
heen stl16ied from every angle. shout