"THE ENEMY PEOPLES HAVE BEEN FED ON FALSE HOPES"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2642, 13 December 1915, Page 6

"THE ENEMY PEOPLES HAVE BEEN FED ON FALSE HOPES"

HERR BETHMANN-HOLLWEG IN REPLY) TO 'HERE SOHEIDE-' MANN. .. London, December 10. I<T . r Sorr Bethniann-Hollwcg, in reply to Horr Sclieidemann, began by saying: " e have gained gigantic successes. We have deprived the enemy of one hopo after another, and when the road to' Turkey was opened, threatening the most vulnerable point of the- British Empire, our enemies must have recognised that they had lost tho game. "If lam to speak _of peace conditi? 1 } 5 )" said the Chancellor, "I must first see the enemies! conditions. Their amb''-' oll ® have not changed, despite what has happened. _ The recent speeches in t' lG Honso of Lords found hardly an echo in the British Press. Mr. Asquitli,, 10 Guildhall, said the objects of the war were the same as at t'lie beEr.inn' n 6i including tho freedom of small states; but the small States who beTieved that have now been cured, since when England fights for them they fare badlJ'- The destruction of Prussian militarism meant the finishing for ever of a State wlioso development lias filled its enemies with envy and distrust. England's Allies took up this battle-cry. Such cries, and the talk of restoring Al sace and Polandl and conquering Constantinople, were, merely bluff. "The enemy peoples have been fed on false hopes. They now find that victories have not been, gained, and tha'. they have suffered many military and diplomatic defeats. They have been sac r 'fi ce J hi hecatombs. Yet we stand far within their territories, and have opened tho way south-east and hold valuablo securities, hut the enemy cannot give uP the. delusion that Germany must be crushed. Now they have placed their h°P cs in a war of exhaustion, but our provisions are sufficient Concerning the exhaustion of men, wo have not gone as far as Russia. Wo do not intend to extend tho ago limit, as they liavo done. Our losses aro smaller than those of the French. "The depth of the eremy's hate is shown in the Baralong case, in. which a British warship murdered the crow of a .helpless German submarine. The British Press hushed up this. The British have been proud of its Navy's spirit, but they cannot reply to this murder, which remains a black stain on its Navy's history." ' Herr Lansberg, spokesman of tho Socialists, said they were ready for an honourable peaco, safeguarding Germany against frivolous attacks. .Whoever attempts to carve up Germany will encounter a united! people. The debate was adjourned. AN OFFER OF PEACE BY GERMANY WOULD BE FOLLY. London, December 10. Replying to the interpellation, the Chancellor said an offer of peace by Germany would be folly while Germany's enemies maintain their hypocrisy and ignorance. "All disguises must be dropped. If our enemies bring" proposals proper to Germany's dignity she will bo always ready to discuss them. Germany, m the full consciousness of her successes, declines the responsibility of the continuation of the distress which is filling Europe and tho world. Nobody can say she desired to prolong the war for the sake of. conquest. I am unable to say what guarantees Germany will demand as regards Belgium, hut neither in tho east or west must onr enemies hold the means of invading our country or by which they could threaten us more strongly than before the war. We must also safeguard 'our economic development. This war ■ throughout has been a defensive war of tho German nation and its future. BRITISH ADMIRALTY REPUDIATES THE CHANCELLOR'S UNWARRANTED CHARGE, (Rec. December 12, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 11. The Press Bureau states that the circumstances attending the destruction of the German submarine and her crew by the Baralong in August are now the subject of communication between Britain and America, and therefore the Admiralty does not propose to make a public statement at present, beyond repudiating Herr Bethmann-Hollweg's unwarranted charge. EXENSIVE GERMAN PRESS COMMENTS ON THE SPEECH. Amsterdam,.December 10. The German Press comments extensively upon Von Bethmann-Hollweg's speech. The "Berliner Tagleblatt" says that the Chancellor was wise when "ho refused to make suggestions regarding peace. It warns him not to bo misled by 'Superannexionist pan-Germans," who believo that Germany desires to annex half of Europe. The "Deutsche Tages Zeitung" welcomes the speech. It adds: "Now even the blindest of our enemies know how we stand, and how determined we are to win." LARGE SECTION OF THE PUBLIC BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED. Copenhagen, December 10. Some of the Berlin journals receive the Chancellor's speech coolly. A large section of the public is bitterly disappointed. The "Vossiche Zeitung" frankly admits that the Chancellor has deceived everybody. The speech was only polemics, which ran out with painful littleness against British hypocrisy. Correspondents add that yesterday there were tremendous demonstrations, but owing to the censorship it is impossible to say what happened. "THE GOVERNMENT MUST TELL THE PEOPLE THE REAL TRUTH" SIGNIFICANT LECTURE BY HERR M. HARDEN, ■ ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) • ~ . . London, December 10. Herr M. Harden, journalist, lecturing; m Berlin, said: "We have not beaten a single enemy, to say nothing of defeating the whole of them. Some victory must be reached, though the task will be monstrously hard. Germany must avoid a war of attrition at all costs; therefore the people must be prepared for further sacrifices and privations. The Government must'tell the people the real truth." The milithr,y authorities approved of the lecture, after having read tho text prior to its delivery. , , SARCASTIC COMMENTS OF THE BRITISH PRESS. " (''Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.), (Rec. December 11, 5.5 p.m).' London, December 10. The Press is sarcastio at Herr Bethmann-Hollweg's .expense, and points out that Germany got no change out of the bluff which commenced with the wireless message in reference to Germany's readiness to make peace. Italy's signing the Allies' peace agreement left the German Chancellor nothing to do but display grandoise heiroics in the Reichstag. ENORMOUS PEACE DEMONSTRATION IN BERLIN —— \ THE MOB SHOUT INSULTS AT THE KAISER AND HIS FAMILY. (Rec. December 12, 5.5 p.m.) Copenhagen, December 11. There was an enormous peace demonstration in Berlin on Thursday Eight. Many thousands assembled at the Friedrichstrasse and tried to force their way into the Reichstag. The traffic was completely stopped for three hours, and the police were unable to disperse the demonstrators. The mob continually cried "Peace! Peace!" while some shouted insults at the Kaiser and his family. The "Vorwaerts" announces that the censorship has forbidden its' comments on the Reichstag debate. The Socialists exhibit tho most intense dissatisfaction at the censorship's action. \