GERMAN CHANCELLOR SEEKS TO JUSTIFY TIE BARRED ZONES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3016, 1 March 1917, Page 5

GERMAN CHANCELLOR SEEKS TO JUSTIFY TIE BARRED ZONES

SPEECH IN THE REICHSTAG BITTER CRITICISM OF PRESIDENT WILSON (Roc. February 28, 5.25 p.m.) London, February 27. bpeaking in the Reichstag, the Imperial Chancellor, von Bethmar.nHollweg, said thai, the granting of new war credits to Germany had demonstrated to the world her readiness to light until the Entente was ready for peace. "Our one necessity," ho said, "is to tight and gain tho victory. Onr soldiers stand in the trenches, our .submarines, defying death, hasten through the seas; at home, our people, tireless, are producing ammunition and food. Wβ realise that all this has intensified our life for the future. Tt would bo premature to participate in debates on peace. These would he unproductive. Tt would bo pri-ctiriniis for us to make liromises or formulate detailed conditions. 'Hie hostile lenders arc doing 111 is abundantly, and aro giving extravagant_ assurances, to one another. Their example does not tempt ino. Our aim is solely 1.0 exact reparation and future guarantees, nothing more or less. The .Entente Powers' answer hi our peace oifer was ruder and more presump-, tuous than any sensible German or neutral could imagine. Th« effect of the Entente's document of barbarism and hatred will soon be made manifest to the whole world. Our alliances and fronts stand firm. The nation is more united and resolute than ever." The Barred Zones, Referring tn t.lie barred zones round England, France, and Italy, he said: "Wβ do not under-estimato the difficulties which have been caused to neutral

shipping, and are therefore endeavouring to alleviate them as much as pri&i' sible. Also, to the utmost of our power we aro supplying neutrals with raiß materials, coal and iron. We know that it only England's tyranny of the seae that causeß these difficulties. We shall break this enslavement of all nonEnglish trade, nnd will meet half-way all wishes oC neutral nations witb which jt is possible to comply. But this endeavour can nover go beyond the limits imposed by us in our irrevocable decision to reach our aim by the establishment of the barred zones. I feel certain that later tho neutrals will thank us for our firmness, becauso of tho freedom of the oceans we are gaining by so fighting, and also for tho ad vantages wo shall gain for them."

President Wilson Criticised, The Chancellor proceeded to say th at he had uofc received the authentic reasons for President Wilson's brusque step. Mr. Gerard (the American Ambassador) had merely intimated verbally that the President would break 'off relations, and_asked for his passports. This form of severing relations between two great uations living at peace was probably unprecedented. President Wilson was reported as having told Oougross that Germany in her Note of January 3L had suddenly, and without warning, withdrawn the solemn promises given in the' Note of May, 1916, and he therefore had no choice but to break off relations. "If President Wilson has been correctly reported, 1 must decidedly protest," said the Chancellor. For over a. century friendly relations had been carefully promoted between Germany and America, and both countries had benefited thereby. Since the outbreak 'of the war, things in America had changed. Old principles had been overthrown. President Wilson, during tho 1918 Mexioan troubles, declared that ho intended to adhere to the best usages of nations, and that ho would not supply arms to either Mexican party. Apparently he no longer considered these usages good. Tn 1914 ho supplied war material to the Entente Powers. Ho referred to the jealousy with -which President Wilson had upheld the rights of Aruoricans to travel freely and trade with tho Entente peoples, even in munitions. That trado had been paid for in German blood, but tho same right of American tritizens towards the Central Powers wns not deemed equally valuable or worthy of protection by America. He protested that some of England's measures were contrary to international law, hut Germany had submitted to them. "I must protest with equal decisiveness against America's objection that tho manner or our withdrawal of the assurances of the Hay Note offended America's honour and dignity. Wo from the beginning expressly deolaied that our assurances would bo invalid under certain conditions. Our May Note sought to induce America to insist on all belligerents obeying the laws of humanity. Our contention is that the war conditions have since theu justified our resuming full liberty of action at sea. Eugland has failed to abolish Germany's isolation, and has even recklessly intensified it. America has failed to prevail upon our enemies to respect international lair and 'the laws of humanity. America did not hinder the more complete'destruction of the freedom of the sens, which, earlier in the war, she -wanted, with our cooperation, to restore, when England issued a further isolation declaration in tho North Sea atthe end of January. It is therefore not surprising that we should have considered that tho freedom of tho seas had not been re-estab-lished. We, who wero ready to make peace by mutual understanding, will now fight for our life as a, nation ngainst an enemy who, from tho beginning, has put his heel upon the recognised laws of nations. America might have enforced the cessation of bloodshed, instead of in this one-sided fashion upholding international law against us alone. Why didn't England endanger American lives? Only because America submitted to tho English measures. What would have happened if America had valued tho trade of Bremen and Hamburg equnijy with that of Liverpool and London? Tho American rupture, coupled with the attempted mobilisation of all the neutrals against Germany, will not aßßist to secure the freedom of the seas or the promotion of peace, which is America's aim. Instead, they will tend to multiply the bloodshed. AYo regret the rupture with a nation, seemingly predestined to work with us towards common ideals. A Tilt at Britain. ' "Eugland," he concluded, "contends that tho use of the submarine is the greatest crime iu history, because she considers herself to be tho ordained ruler of the ocean. Sir Percy Scott iu 1914 predicted this submarino warfare, and declared that it did not contravene international law." Herr von Beth-mann-Hollweg charged England with the systematic extermination of Boer women and children. "She. now seeks by the same method to force seventy millions of people to submission. Our submarine successes surpass the Navy , ? ; expectations, and have discouraged neutral shipping. It is impossible to give definite results of the work of' the submarines. The reports of a, large proportion of the submarine commanders have not beeu received, liacauso they aTP still voyaging, but their reported successes arc great. Tho enemy does not publish his complete losses. We are aware of the incomparable bravery of our submarine corps, and await in full confidence the development of their warfare, which will be increasingly important. .The women and children of Germany, as become heroes, are facing the sufferings and of the hard winter which is past.' Wβ are morally strengthened by the enemy's scornful refusal of our peace offer. Wβ are safely protected on our land fronts by the genius of our supreme command, victorious upon tho sea, . and many times more prepared for submarine warfare than we wero a year ago. I confidently look forward in the coming months to a happy termination of the war."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.