The Sun MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1916. A STALE DISCLAIMER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 861, 13 November 1916, Page 6

The Sun MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1916. A STALE DISCLAIMER.

The German Chancellor, Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, harking bad to the end of July, 1914, protests, as he lias protested since Germany discovered she could not possibly succeed in conquering France or Russia, that it was not Prussian militarism, but the hemming-in policy of Germany's adversaries, which caused the war. As the recent peace agitations have shown, an insidious attempt is being made to throw the blame for the European conflict on the shoulders of anybody but Germany. Such a contention is not worth a moment's consideration, and it would assuredly have not been put forward had von Moltke's plan for the sudden capture of Paris and the wheeling of the German legions east to crush Russia succeeded. Now that Germany is face to face with an exhausting war and ultimate defeat she is assuming the role of a peaceful nation which has been forced to light for its very existence against envious and ferocious rivals. But | the world has got past lending a serious ear to such a plaint—the evidence is too full and overwhelmingly the other way. It may not be generally known that some months ago an attempt was made by the oflicial Press of Austria, at a time when it was hoped that Italy would not declare war on Germany, to relieve Germany from the onus of having | started the war. At the time referred to there were convincing signs extant that Germany was angling for the Pope's intervention in the way of a peace settlement. The Austro-Hungarian newspapers, apparently without motive, returned to the question of the origin of the war, and affirmed that Germany had not wanted war. The "Pester Lloyd," the official organ of Buda-Pest, went further, as the following demonstrates:—

The war would certainly have been avoided if Sir Edward Grey's proposal of a conference of the Powers had been accepted, but the nation which refused to agree to the conference was not Germany, but Austria-Hungary, which saw its most vital interests at stake.

That statement is significant enough, but the official organ of Vienna, the "Fremdenblatt," was even more outspoken. It declared that Sir Edward Grey's proposed eon Terence could not be accepted, as it would have meant ruin to Austria. It added: "Austria, in other words, had absolutely to subjugate Serbia, and, in order lo succeed in this purpose, was ready to go to any extreme.-' This endeavour to bring the Pope between the Allies and the Central Powers did not succeed, for various well known reasons, but the tactics were eminently worthy of the diplomatic mind of Germany. That same mind, unchanged in any particular but its arrogancy, is still busy willi peace "kites"' and the attempt to win Germany sympathy among the neutrals. Germany, it is declared, is quite ready to consider peace proposals, and has promised lo assist in the peaceful settlement of future international quarrels. The 'Chancellor's latest observations bespeak a chastened spirit looking out over a dubious panorama. It was not so long since he taunted the Allies with the change in the map of Europe, which showed the Germans in possession of nine departments of France, the most of Belgium, and all Serbia and Poland. That was the card he meant lo play if the Allies had consented to discuss peace terms prematurely. But peace is not yet. Germany is to be made to travel every inch of the bloody track she designed for others. She would re-

ceive more sympathy from neutrals if she were to take her beating in a more sportsmanlike way, but it was ever the nature of a bully to whine when thrashed. As for the responsibility for the whole terrible business, as far back as the late days of July 1911 that was placed on the right shoulders, and all the talk and pious resignation on the part of the German Chancellor to-day will not shift it