Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1915. GERMANY INDICTED—BY A GERMAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8303, 23 November 1915, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1915. GERMANY INDICTED—BY A GERMAN.

One of the most striking contributions to the literature of the wari'is a book with the title " J' Accuse ": (I accuse). It is the most damning indictment that could possibly be made of Germany's attitude and conduct before and during the war, and its claim on the interest and consideration of British .readers lies in the fact that it was written by a German. The publisher's note states that: "The man who wrote this, book is a German „;. . . who is uncorrupted and incorruptible; who is not bought and is not for sale. He loves his Fatherland like, anyone else; but just because he loves it he wrote this book." With such an introduction one takes up the; book in the expectation of reading something put of the ordinary fun of German criticism, and the most comprehensive comment on its contents is that that expectation is fully realised. In the epilogue to the book the author declares that "the German people have been corrupted and blinded, that they might be driven into a war which they had never foreseen, never intended, and never desired. In, order;that they might be liberated, they have been.put in chains. It was to break this charm, to liberate the people from their ' liberators,' to fight against falsehood, that I wrote this book of truth." And in the 450 pagesof '.' this book of truth" are masses of facts that convict Germany of treachery, murder, outrage, and every,other conceivable crime against humanity and international law. Every page of the book tempts quotation, but we have space for only a few brief extracts. From a British J viewpoint, one of the most interesting references is tlie author's version -of the pre-war negotiations. "Germany," he says, "demanded neither more nor less than the obligation of Britain of an unconditional neutrality in the event of any European-conflict in which Germany, might; be involved. England was thus to free herself from her engagements, to the Entente, and was to withhold herself from every co-operation in European questions. Even treaty obligations to protect neutrals would have been abolished had England concurred in the German proposal of an unconditional neutrality in all-disputes affecting Germany. It is, therefore, not surprising that this suggestion., which had already been rejected between 1909 and 1911, should ugain have been rejected in 1912, nl:icr Haldane's visit; indeed, it amounted to no more than a demand that England should simply renounce her position as a European ' Great Power." This proposal was of course declined by. Sir Edward Grey, who offered an assurance that ;Great Britain, would neither attack Germany nor'countenance any attack upon !hor. But this assurance Avas not enough'■ 'for Germany, who demanded ' unqualified - security for an undisturbed attack. The author deals ironically with the assertion of the German Emperor and his statesmen that Britain's overseas possessions would gladly welcome German dominance and ■kulkir. "I should like to see," he says, " how ■ Canada, India, Australia, and New Zealand would acclaim -the German con-, queror, who, aft the Chancellor j has so beautifully expressed it to: an American journalist, is destin-j I'd to bring freedom to the world, j What country-politically is so un- j developed and so gagged'as Prussian Germany, if we except Russia and. our illustrious ally, Aus-: tria-llun-gary-? 'What country has as little 'understanding- as-

Germany of the art of assimilating to itself foreign nationalities, of allowing- them to ilive according- to their own' habits and customs, according to their own culture and language, of making them happy, and therefore making- them faithful? Our policy towards the Poles and the Danes and towards Alsace-Lorraine

speaks volumes on this point." He shows keen insight-in his review of Germany's position before the war broke out, and declares that she enjoyed all the advantages of colonies without the cost and trouble of founding and maintaining 1 them. "Our best customers were those very lands which we have never possessed andean never possess: England, | Russia, France, Italy, America, Brazil, Argentina, Those were our real colonies. Those were the lands which offered to the German.; merchant inexhaustible splie.res of activity, wherein he, freely competing with all commercial nations' of the *rworld, brought his efficiency v;l:q:;jb.ear.'' The author is frankly doubtful of the possibility "of victory, for Germany. I " To-day;' it is no longer permissible to imagine the possibility of the victory of the ;Allied Empires," he says. '/The .financial and military Superiority: of the countries allied against them is so great that they cannot be counter-balanced by military efficiency on . the. .part of Germany."" His concluding words are significant of the strength of his loyalty and of the test he has put upon it in writing the book. "History," he states, "which weighs guilt and innocence in its iron scales, will, I am firmly convinced, confirm the judgment which, with pain and shame, I as a German have been compelled to pass on Germans, in honour of truth and for the well-being of the German people. .History also, with letters of name, will inscribe the verdict: ' Weighed in ' the balance and found wanting.'" . ■