ATTACK ON THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2972, 9 January 1917, Page 4

ATTACK ON THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR

The attacks which certain German newspapers are now making on HERR VON BETHJfANN-HoLLfrEG, the Imperial Chancellor, on account of his uiiforgettablp refcrpneo to treaties as "scraps of paper," afford a striking, illustration of that German moral obliquity on which the war has thrown such a lurid light. The Chancellor's assailants aro furious, nob hecauso the treaty which guaranteed the neutrality. of Belgium was. as a matter of Met treated as a "scrap of paper," but .because Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg, i.u his historic interview with tho British Ambassador, was foolish enough to confess that in case of "necessity" a solemn agreement to which Germany had attached her signature counted for nothing. Tho fact that a great orimo was committed when Belgium was invaded is not' worrying the Gorman conscience. 'The Chancellor's critics aro angry because it has now become clear that his admission of guilt and his contemptuous reference to treaty obligations havo made it impossible for the Central Powers to secure a favourable hearing for their peace proposals. As long as the Germans believed that they wero going to win the war they rather admired the Chancellor's brutal franknoss; but now that they see 'that thoir chanco of winning has gone, they aro beginning to realise that Here von Bethmann-Hollweg made a huge blunder when he spoke of treaties as "scraps of paper." Gormany is now anxious to make the world bclievo that she is ready to become a law : abiding member of tho family of nations, bho talks of entering into agreements witli other States, but they aro naturally very doubtful us to tho honesty of her intentions. They refuse to trust her. TFfe Chancellor is being_ blamed for tho bad reputation which Germany has acquired. A strong movement has been started with tho object of securing bis overthrow, and one of thq charges brought against-him is the mistake ho made when he. confessed to ,, the world that Germany would pay no regard to any pledge that happened to clash with her desire for aggrandisement. It is a significant fact that Herr von Beth-mann-Hollweg is strongly attacked in a book recently written by his predecessor in office, Prince von Bulow. Tho Chancellor is not mentioned by name, but some severe criticism is obviously directed against him. He is spoken of as a visionary doctrinaire, who did inore damago than two defeats when ho alluded to the "scrap of paper" and admitted that the invasion of Belgium was "a wrong." Pjiince von Bulow remarks that "a clumsy word, an injudicious turn of a phrase, may, under certain circumstances, do more harm than a lost battle." The Chancellor is now condemned as a woakling—and according to one o£ Germany's political philosophers, weakness is tho unpardonable sin— 'the sin against tho Holy Ghost of politics." Ho is also derided as a blunderer, a novice in the art of dissimulation, because in an unguarded moment he laid bare his mind, and by tho use. of those three memorable words, "scrap of paper," he revealed his country to tho world as a perjured nation.