GERMAN OF DENMARK

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 271, 18 November 1919, Page 6

GERMAN OF DENMARK

WHITE BOOK DISCLOSURES

(London Times Correspondent.) COPENHAGEN, Sept. 14. A White Book has been published here containing documents relating to the discussion carried on in 1906 and 1907 in Berlin and Potsdam by Captain Luetkin, representing M. Christensen, then Danish Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, with General yon Moltke, then Chief of the German General Staff, on the position Denmark should take up ,in case of war. The book also reports cnoversations between William 11., Prince Bulow, and the Danish King on December 17th, 1903. It would appear that in that year the Kaiser and Prince Bulow expected that, in case Russia were involved in war with Japan, both Great Britain and the United States would attack Russia in the Baltic. The Kaiser, who had already discussed the matter with the Tsar and was disposed to support by defending the Sound, expressed the hope that Denmark would guard her neutrality. The Kaiser visited Denmark in February, 1906, to attend the funeral of King Christian, and Captain Luetkin, who was chief of the War Office, met General yon Moltke, e who suggested an arrangement between the Danish and German staffs to meet a possible English attempt to close the Great Belt. In July, 1906, Captain Luetkin went to Berlin with instructions to obtain from Germany a, declaration that she had no intention of violating Danish neutrality. General yon Moltke declined to give such a declaration.

The conferences between Captain Luetkin and General yon Moltke indicate that the Germans in 1906-7 contemplated a war with Great Britain and France. Yon Moltke considered a landing at Esbjerg probable, and in the spring of 1906 he was anxious to arrive at a DanoGerman military arrangement, though by the summer of that year (after the Algeciras Treaty) he was less eager for the agreement. Nevertheless, he warned Denmark to choose between England and Germany. He was very^ frank. The Germans had no intention of respecting Danish neutrality. The Danes, in his opinion, should not think of keeping out of the conflict; and, anyway, the kingdom would be smashed up and Danish indepeiir deuce at an end.