VIOLENT SPEECH BY THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR
BITTER ATTACK ON ITALY "HER WAR WAS A DELIBERATELY MADE WAR', (Rec. May 30, 3.30 p!m.) _ London, May 28. Her von Bethmann-Hohregg, the German Imperial Chancellor, in a violent outburst in the Reichstag, said: "Italy has inscribed in the Book of History her violation of faith in ineffaceable- lottors of blood. Her war was a deliberately made war. Nobody threatened Italy—neither Austria-Hungary nor Germany. She might, without bloodshed, liave secured a long list of concessions. I'orhaps sho wished to conquer the Tyrol. If so, Germany said 'Hands off!" 1 Ho denied that the offers to Italy came too late. Italy had engaged herself, long .beforehand, so deeply with tho Triple Entente, that she was unable to disentangle herself. The Cabinet at Kome had manifested fluctuations as far back as December. It was always useful to have two irons in. the fire. Italy before, had shown a prediction for extra dances, but this was no ball-room. It was a bloody battlefield, in which Germany and Hungary were fighting for their lives against a world of pigmies. Italian statesmen, ho continued, had played against Italy liersalf the same game as tlioy had played against tho Triplice. The majority of Parliament and of the people, early in May, did not desire war, but it is copimon,sease to say that the mob alono ruled, with the assistance of tho leading statesmen of the Cabinet, fed with tho Triple Entente's gold. The mob, un° der the guidance of unscrupulous war agitators, wero roused to a frenzy of blood, and threatened the King with revolution, and all moderate men with murder, unless t'hoy joined in their war delirium. "The Italians wero intentionally kept in the dark regarding Austria's far-reaehing "concessions, and in the frenzy of the war fever honest politicians grow dumb." After paying a tribute to Prince von Bulow's effort's, and predicting that the Contral Powers would triumph, the Chancellor eulogised Turkey's victorious resistance in the Dardanelles. "Heretofore, our enemies have vainly summoned against us all the forces of the world in a gigantic coalition. They have brave soldiers —we do not despise our enemies as our adversaries like to do." Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg ridiculed the British Government's publication of the evidence of un-named witnesses on alleged cruelties in Belgium— allegations so monstrous that only mad brains could believe. He accused Franco of conoealing the Allies' sotoio losses oast and west, and added: '.'TVe. are Telying on our f.ood conscience in a just cause, and we will be_ victorious with tho sword. We will not allow ourselves to be forced one hair's-breadth from tho path we have always recognised as the right one. Not m hatred, but in holy auger, do we wago this war, and the more wildly the storm rages, the more_ firmly we must build our house. For your loyal co-opera-tion throughout, I bring your Kaiser's warm thanks." (Prolonged applause.) The abusive passages of the speech were received with frantic cheers.
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2475, 31 May 1915, Page 5
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495VIOLENT SPEECH BY THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2475, 31 May 1915, Page 5
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