Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
FRENCH LEADER REVIEWS
j EVENTS LEADING TO WAR
Declares Germany Bolstered Army First
Despite Emperor's Claim France
Wanted Vengeance.
BY RAYMOND POINCARE,
Former President of France.


Mondes. a story published
some years ago in his book entitled
Germany Before the War" Baron
Beyens is not one of those who think
1t useless to recall the truth from time
to time for the benefit of generations
who are ignorant Of it or are led to for
get. His article throws bright light
on the so-called problem" Of war guilt
today treated abroad with so much
prejudice or fiippancy. 1t has reused
in me flood of old memories. Perhaps
shall be allowed to pause for mo-
ment and face this resurrection Of q
tragic past.
AS explained by Baron Beyens, the
Belgian government, anxious to sustain
the peace of Europe, was particularly
eager to preserve friendly relations with
Germany; and, as matter OF fact
since the accession of Albert I these
relations had left nothing to be desired
In 1918 had arisen an opportunity tor
still further improvement. The Bel
gian monarch, having received from
the Emperor the honorary command OF
the I'd Regiment of Dragons, had de-
cided to go to Luneburg for a review OF
this unit and to take advantage OF this
journey to visit William II on the 9th
Of November In the privacy of Potsdam
After spending a little more than "a
hours in the new palace, King Albert
left the imperial household and, on his
way through Berlin, informed his Am
bassador of the serious conversations
he had had the day before with the
Emperor. He went so far as to author
lie Baron Beyens to communicate their
import to M Jules Oambon.
It was not before November % that,
in q strictly confidential letter, the lat
ter could send word of the incident to
the French minister of foreign affairs,
M, Stephen Pichon. Baron BeyenS had,
in fact. insisted that our Ambassador
write nothing and content himself with
informing us orally. Restrained by this
urgent Recommendation, M. Cambon
had waited for an opportunity to return
TO Paris. Then, as his duties prevented
his leaving his post, he had at last de-
cided to intrust: the account to paper,
but he had expressly demanded the
strictest secrecy for his communicatio
which might, If known, have drawn the
anger of the Emperor upon the King
and his minister.
kilograms Exchanged.
The letter of M. Jules Cambon has
been published in the yellow Book OF
August, 1914, and it is in strict agree
ment with the memoirs OF Baron Bey-
ems. 1t was not without emotion and
even anxiety that the minister OF Tor
eign affairs and myself read this report
at the end of November. 1913. The
state of mind of William III was revealed
to us there in most discouragtng light.
A few weeks before had exchanged
kilograms with him, not only correct
and courteous, but Triendly. It nao
been in connection with the automobile
accident in which the German military
attache, Col. vom Winterfeld, had been
a victim, between Montauban and fIsle
Jourdain, on mis- way to the maneuvers
Of the French Army. He had been
carried to q private house at GriSoilesi
where had hurried to see him.
had expressed my sympathy and
concern and had put myself at his dis
posal in case he might need my serv-
ices, and on leaving him 7 had tele-
graphed to William II, of whom he was,
as I knew, a protege and friend. the
next morning, unfortunately, a frac-
ture of the pelvis had been discovered,
necessitating surgical operation, ana
had been forced to send the Emperor
another telegram, less optimistic than
the first. In neither of them had ]
used the stereotyped phraseology which
had since 1871 been a feature OF COM
munications exchanged between the
German Emperor and the President OF
the French Republic, and William II
had at once replied in the same tone:
"Cadinen, September II, 1918.
ION my arrival here received the
two friendly kilograms which you have
been so good as to send me concerning
the health of Mai. Won Winterfeld. IN
fortunately the second message destroys
the hope to which the favorable prog
nostication of the first gives rise. The
accident is undoubtedly serious. Very
much touched by all the kindness which
you are showing to the injured man
and by your warm sympathy on TINS
YOU will accept my deep and sincere
gratitude. Pray believe in my highest
WILLIAM, Emperor and King"
Was it the man who had signed this
letter who, less than two months later,
spoke of France to the King OF the
Belgians in the terms related to us by
Baron Beyens? Today it is sufficient
to re-read the nervous and disordered
annotations which William scattered
on the documents of the Wilhelmstrasse
in July. 1914. to know that he was not
always the same man and that MS
brain was touched with stckly insta-
bility. But at this moment we did not
know him as the war has revealed him
TO us.
King Albert himself believed that he
was going to find the Emperor in the
peaceful frame of mind in which he had
seen him before. He was very much
surprised at his deception. Little by
little the Kaiser had yielded to the
pressure of his general staff and the
inilitarist parties, and he declared ar
rogantly that he considered war with
France inevitable. The pretext? The
ideas of vengeance which, according tc
him, filled the mind Of the French peo'
pie, and which had just betrayed them
selves by the establishment of three
year military service.
William pretended not to recall the
mission of the Panther in the harbol
of Agadir and the concessions which
we had made to Germany in the KongC
in the treaty of November 4, 1911. HI
pretended not TO remember that In 1917
throughout the Balkan crisis, the gov.
ernments of France and Germany mao
in the words Of Baron Won Scnoen
leaned upon one another to prevent
European conflict. He pretended not u
remember that the beginning OF the In
crease of ornaments had not come from
France, but from Germany.
While, on the one hand, on March n
1905, we had reduced the period OF mill
tary service from three TO two years
and on April 4, 1908, the cabinet o
Clemenceau had shortened the periot
of training for reservists, the Reichs
tag, on the other hand, had voted il
March, 1911, a law bringing their avail
able army to a figure exceeding ours b.
5000 men and creating 112 machin
gun companies, Is field batteries,
battalionS of foot artillery. 5 battalion
of railwaymen, balloonists. chauffeurs
mechanics and telegraph operators.
That was not all. At the very mo
ment in May, 1912, when the French
Parliament had ratified the Franco
German agreement Of November, 1911
the Reichstag voted new law furthe
increasing the army by $1,000 mer