NEWS FROM BRITAIN

Timaru Herald, Volume CIII, Issue 15741, 27 August 1915, Page 7

NEWS FROM BRITAIN

SIR E. GREY. REPLIES TO VON HOLLWEGG. Received 9.10 p.m., August 26tn. LONDON, August 25. (The following is a continuation of a statement in our "Earlier Messages"): Sir E. Grey said:—"l propose to publish Foreign Office records showing how the negotiations for the Anglo-German agreement of 1912 were brought to a point where it was clear that the negotiations could not be successful unless we promised absolute neutrality, Germany remaining free to take part in an European war. Von. Hollweg quotes an isolated sentence of my •peech on August 3rd to prove that Britain was ready for war, but does not quote the words ' We are going to suffer terribly, whether we are in it or whether we stand aside.' I leave it to anyone outside Germany to settle for himself whether he understands those words to mean that I desired and planned a European war or laboured to avert one. I never said anything so ridiculous or so untrue as that we want war in the interest of Germany and with the object of restraining Russia. "War would have been aroided if the conference had been agreed to. Germany, upon the flimsiest pretext, shut the door against it. I expressed myself ready to acquiesce in any method of mediation Germany could suggest, if mine was unacceptable. I said mediation was ready, and would come into operation by any method Germany thought possible, if only Germany would press the button in the interests of peace. Von Hollweg encouraged nothing except direct discussion between Vienna and Petrograd. What chance was there of success when we learned afterwards that the German Ambassador at Vienna was of opinion that Prussia woiud stand aside, conveying the impression to his colleagues that he desired war from the first. Some day perhaps we would know what really passed between Germany and Austria respecting the ultimatum to Servia. Its consequences had become only too apparent. The conference which we proposed, and to which Russia, France and Italy agreed, and which Germany veteod, was the only hope of peace, and it was 6uch a. good hope that Servia accepted nearly all the Austrian ultimatum although it was severe and violent. The outstanding points could have been settled honourably and fairly by the week's conference. Germany must know that we would take the same straight and honourable part therein that she recognised we took in the Balkan conference, working not for the diplomatic victory of a group but for a fair settlement, opposing any attempt to exploit the conference unfairly to the disadvantage of Austro-Gennany. "Germany's refusal of a conference did not decide British participation, but it did decide the question of peace or war, and signed the death warrant of many hundred thousands. We must not forget that the Czar proposed to the Kaiser that the Austro-Servian dispute should be settled by the Hague Convention. In their candid soul Austro-Germany, making a retrospect of the year, must regret that neither the British nor the Russian proposal was accepted.

"Von Hollweg explains that the German programme is to control the destiny of all other nations and he the shield of peace and freedom for big and small nations. If Germany were supreme Germany alone would he free to break international treaties, free to crush when it pleased her, free to refuse all mediation, free to go to war when it suited her, free when waning to break again all rules of civilisation and humanity on land and sea. The freedom of the sea is reasonably a subject for discussion, definition and agreement among the nations after the war, but not while there is no freedom, no security against war and German war methods upon the land."