BEFORE THE WAR BROKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15884, 3 April 1915, Page 8

BEFORE THE WAR BROKE.

BRITISH EFFORT FOR PEACE

REVEALED BY LORD HALDANE

HIS MISSION TO GERMANY.

(Received April 2. 7.30 p.m.)

London, April 1.

Lord Haldane, in an interview published in the Chicago Daily News, asks for America's forbearance while Britain fights for life. " If we appear to go beyond some of the rules in the books," he is reported as saying, " we shall not violate the dictates of humanity and turn back the hands of the clock of civilisation. Germany's submarine warfare on belligerents and neutrals alike is without analogy, and we are compelled to meet it. If we had recourse to the full rigours of conventional blockade we could confiscate all ships and cargoes seeking to invade the blockade, but instead we want to spare neutrals inconvenience and injury."

The Agadir incident, continued Lord Haldane, compelled Britain to face the possibility of war. Relations afterwards improved-

During the visit to Germany, which he subsequently undertook, he conferred with the German Imperial Chancellor, Dr. von Bethraann Hollweg, and saw the Kaiser. He assured the German leaders that Britain was prepared to enter into the most binding agreement that in no circumstances would she be a party to agression against Germany, but he came away with an uneasy feeling. All the time Germany was piling up armaments. The Kaiser had been opposed to war, but it appeared that he settled into the war mood in 1913. As M. Paul Cambon's despatch to M. Pichon showed the Prussian spirit temporarily gained ascendancy and the rest followed naturally.

The present war, Lord Haldane proceeded, should end secret diplomacy and political manipulation and should also be followed by a great moral advance. The world had been too luxurious. If Germany were beaten the nations in future would not be likely to pin faith on armaments. The present war should rid the world of at least part of the burden of armaments. He was not sure that Britain would have remained out of the war, if Germany had respected Belgium's neutrality. "Belgium touched our honour," remarked Lord Haidane, " France our feelings and interests- Having regard to the German theories of world conquest it would have been madness for Britain to have sat with hands folded while Germany removed all Continental obstacles to her siege of the British Empire, but the attack on Belgium gave us no choice. We had to resist the violation of her treaty or have been disgraced." , ,