GERMAN CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14235, 1 March 1917, Page 3

GERMAN CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH.

CHARGES AGAINST BRITAIN. ATTEMPT TO CONCILIATE AMERICA. JUSTIFYING MURDER ON THE HIGH SEAS.

LONDON February 28. ! Dr. von Bethmaita Hollweg, speaking m the Reichstag, said : "Our one necessity is to fight and gain, victory. Our soldier s stand m the trenches, ' amd our submarines, defying death, hasten through the seas. At home, our people are tireless m producing ammunition and food to realise our intensified life for^ the future. It is premature to participate m debates on peace, and it would be unproductive and precarious to mako promises and formulate detailed conditions. The. hostile leaders are doing this, abundantly giving extravagant assurances to one another, but their example does not tempt me. Our adm is solely reparation, and future guarantees, nothing more nor less. The Eritente's answer to our peace offer was more rude and presumptuous than any sensible German* or neutral could have realised. The immediate effect of the Entente's document of barbarism and hatred will soon b« manifest to the whole world. Our alliances and fronts I stand firm, and the nation is more united and resolute than ever."' I Referring to thp barred zones rounds England, France, and Italy, he said : ("We do not under-estimate tKft difficulties caused to neutral shippfnjj, and [ therefore are endeavoring tp alleviate them ag much as possible, and also, to the utmost of our power, we are. supplying neutraJs with raw materials of coal and iron. We know that only England's tvrarny on (he seas causes these difficulties, and we shall break this enslavement of all non-English trade. We will meet half way . all neutrals' wishes with which it is possible to comply, but. though thus endeavoring, we can never go beyond the limits imposed on us by our irrevocable decision to reach our aim and the establishment of the barred zones. It is certain that later neutrals will thank us for our firmness, because the freedom of the oceans we are gaining by fighting will also have advantages for them." "

He said he had not received authentic reasons fou President Wilson's brusque step. Mr. Gerard had earlier merely intimated verbally the break of relations and asked for passports. This form of severing the relations of great nations living m peace was probably unprecedented. President Wilson was reported as telling Congress that Germany's Note of January 31 suddenly and without warning withdrew her solemn promise given m her Note of May, 1916, and therefore he had no choice hut to break off. If Presidert Wilson was correctly reported he (Dr. von Befchmann Hqllweg) must decidedly protest-. For over a century friendly relations had been carefully promoted between Germany and America, and both countries benefited thereby, but since the outbreak of the war things m America had changed, and the old principles had been overthrown. President Wilson, during the 1913 Mexican troubles, declared that he intended to adhere to best usages internationally and not , to supply arms to either Mexican party. Apparently) he no longer considered these usages good m 1914, w»hen he supplied war material to the Entente. The jealousy with which President Wilson upheld the rights of Americans to freely travel and trade with the Entente, even m munitions^ — trade paid for m German blood — • was obvious, but the same right of American citizens towards the Central Powers was not deemed equally valuable and worthy of protection.

"America," he continued, "hag protested against some of England's measures as contrary, to international law, but had submitted to them. We must protest with equal decisiveness against Amei'ica'si objection that the manner of our withdrawal ot the assurances of the May Note offended America's honor and dignity. We, from beginning, expressly declared our assurances to »c invalid under certain conditions, and our May Note sought to induce America to insist on all belligerents obeying the laws of humanity. America is really striking a> contrast. Our contentions and .conditions have since justified our resuming full liheity of action. England has failed to abolish Germany s isolation, and has even recklessly intensified it. and America failed to prevail over our enemies to respect interna Itional law ar d the laws of humanity. America has not hindered the more complete destruction of the freedom bf the sea?, which she earlier wanted, with our co-operation, to restore. England issued a further isolation declaration m the North Sea at the end of January." "Therefore," he continued, "it is not surprising that we considered the freedom of the seas was not re-established. We, who were ready for peace by a m utual understaaiding, now fight for our life against an enemy, who, from the beginning, has put his heel upon the recognised laws of nations. America might have enforced a cessation of the bloodshed instead of m a one-sided fashion upholding international law agaurst us alone. Why didn't England endanger American lives? Only be cause America submitted to English measures. What would have happened if America had valued her trade with Bremen and Hamburg equally with Liverpool and -^London? The American break-off, coupled with the attempted mobilisation of all neutrals against Germany, will .not assist the freedom of the sea and will not promote the peace at which America? aims. Instead, it will tend to multiply the bloodshed. We 'regret the rupture with a nation seemingly predestined to work with us for common ideate;

"England contends that the use of the submarine is the greatest crime m history, because she <sonsiders herself the ordained ruler of the ocean. Sir Percy Scott, m 1914 predicted submarine warfare, a.nd declared that it did not contravene international laws."

The speaker charged England with the systematic extermination o<f Boer women and children, and said : "She now seeks the same method to. force seventy millions of people into submission. Oar »• bmarine9' successes surpass the navy's expectations, and discourage neutral shipping. It is impossible to give the definite results of tho submarining^, and the reports of a large proportion of the submarines have not been received, because they are still voyaging, but the reported successes are great. 'Che enemy do not publish the complete losses, but we are aware of the incomparable bravery of the submariners, and await with full confidence a development -which will be increasingly important to the women and children of Germany, because our heroes are facing sufferings and want m the hard winter which has past. We are morally increased m strength by the scornful rofugal of our peace offer,' and we are safely protected on our land fronts by the genius of the supreme command. Victorious upon, the sea and many times more prepared for submarine war than a year ago, we confidently look to the coming months for a happy termination of the war."