Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27

ton, and IN January, 1918, nad pre-
scribed the complete enforcement OF
the law of 1912, which, according to its
original text was not to be applied be-
fore 1917. But the imperial general
staff still was not satisfied, and in the
beginning of 1918 it had prepared a
new bill raising to $4,000 men their
superiority in covering troops.
It was then that our chief of staff,
Gen. Joffre, became concerned. Germany
was going to have 865, 900 men under
arms; henceforth her army would ex-
JoffTe feared that the inferiority OF our
standing army might become serious
danger for our defense. M BRAND,
president of the Council of Ministers,
asked for the opinion of the High
Council Of War. The latter pronounced
at once for the immediate increase Of
the standing army. Thursday, March
6, the cabinet presented to the Cham
| Der of Deputies the bill for the re-
establishment OF three-year military
service.
A few days later the cabinet was
defeated in the Senate on the question
Of electoral reform, after q magnificent
speech by NJ. BRAND in favor of pro-
port,onal representation, and M. Bar
| thou having become prime minister
and, like his predecessor, obliged to
quad against German menaces, sue
ceeded in passing the three-year law.
| This is what the Kaiser, transposlng
the roles, called Frances idea OF ven
geance.
Won Moltke Goes Further.
| Similarly, he took good care not to
explain to King Albert why, at the
moment when he was complaining OF
us. he, was asking Turkey to turn over
| the command of the Constantinopie
army corps to German chief, Gen.
Linen Won Sonders. However, the King
had mot been the dupe of these I'M
perial receptions. With his customary
loyalty, he had replied that he knew
France, that he had often talked with
her statesmen and her ministers, ana
that they were all, as was the nation,
animated with the most peaceful SEN
timents.
The Emperor would listen to moth
| ing He repeated obstinately that war
was inevitable and necessary, and as
| If to brighten his guest, he insisted that
German victory was certain. Gen. Won
Moltke had spoken in the same terms
to the King He had even gone fur
| tl1er. Like his master, he mad pro-
| claimed the necessity and imminence OF
war, but he showed himself even more
certain than william of decisive VIC
| tory. your Majesty" he had said,
| cannot suspect the irresistible enthu-
siasm which will sweep the whole Ger
man people,
what was the purpose Of this two
fold outburst? Baron Beyens is con-
WINGED that the Emperor was seeking
to make an impression on the young
Belgian king, to stifie any french SYM
patty he might have and to lead him.
| in spite of the neutrality Of his coun-
| try, to deliver its keys and to take sides
with Germany. He counted without
the uprightness of the monarch and
without the courageous honesty of Bel
GUM
informed Of these two conversations
by Baron Beyens, M. Jules Cambon had
replied: 81 cannot but convey 80 impor-
Of the President of the republic and M.
Pichon."
"Of course" acknowledged the AM
bassador of Belgium, but the secret
must not go far, and even the members
of the French cabinet must know
nothing"
It was only too natural TO impose
this discretion upon us, and we observed
it. Neither the ministers nor the Cham
Der of Deputies nor the Senate knew be-
fore the war of the imperial threats
and of the warning Of the King OF the
Belgians. The secret of which two or
three of us were aware could not but
frequently weigh upon our conscienceS.
But we were obliged to hold our counsel.
The Ambassador of Belgium, who had
| himself seen the Emperor at Potsdam,
had said further to M. Jules Cambon
| that William seemed aged, overworked
and more irritable as the years weighed
him down; family traditions, the con-
servatism Of the Empress, the reaction
airy instincts of the court and especially
the bellicose impotence of the military
set were making more Roadway on his
| vacillating and deranged mentality.
Perhaps at the bottom of his heart was
he discontinued and envious of the
growing popularity which the Crown
Prince had acquired by openly fiattering
! pant ermanist passions:
There was curious detail which had
struck both the King and Baron Beyens.
To Judge by the words Of the Emperor,
he was as favorably disposed to England
| and to Russia as he was unfavoraply
disposed to France. The angry notes
which he wrote in the month Of July,
| 1914, have proved to US, on the con-
trary, that William had still more en-
nifty against our allies than against us.
But his impulsive nature did not stifie
| his faculty of discrimination, and as it
was against France that he tried to
excite King Albert, he had skillfully
pretended to have hostility against her
only.
| Albert Received at Elysee.
However that may be, Baron Beyens
Cambon in these words: 1T seems i'm
portant to me that good care be taken
in France lest any incident take place
1t might be made use of at Berlin, per-
haps even some one might try to mSti-
gate one. Furthermore, King Albert
will be passing through Paris shortly.
when he takes the Queen to the Riviera.
At that time he will have an opportu-
nifty for conversation with the President
Of the republic" Soon after King AL
bert stopped in Paris; I received him al
the Elysee and, confldentially still, but
with great definiteness, the confirmed
what his Ambassador had told M
Cambon.
I'VE, too, must henceforth keep oul
powder dry" had said M. Cambon In
his letter to M. Pichon. That also was
the opinion of Baron Beyens. In his
memoirs he expressed the regret thai
France, warned by him, had not has.
tened its defensive preparations, anc
especially manufactured more heavy ar
tiilery. I myself, as the eminent Bel.
gian diplomat points out, had deplorec
these delays and recognized the inefh-
cheney of our preparations.
But the silence we were forced Il
keep concerning the Potsdam inter
views and the care We were wisely urget
to take not to cause any friction witt
Germany did not facilitate parliament
tary action by succeeding governments
On February ~, 1918, the cabinet o
M. BRAND had drawn up program
which provided for the opening OF |
credit of 40, 0O0, 900 francs for the Inn
provement of military equipment. Thu
finance committee Of the Chamber o
Deputies had confided TO M. Clemente
49, ka.lr 81 A~a vytxsnx an q fzu0rQbIo 20