THE KAISER'S WRATH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 121, 15 October 1914, Page 6

THE KAISER'S WRATH.

BIUTiSH TITf.'F/i GIVEN Ul\ gimnttllor TrAitAKfiur* r.Rmsm A.UBASSAOOit. London, August .iS. "Tlie EmpcTor has ebaip.-.l ~,. to expri'H-i to your Excellency his regret for tVn' occurrences of'ast night, but to .tell you at the same wiH nattier from thc.se uivnr e >i idea\,( the feelings of Irs (1 . >.. spitting (lie action of Urea! Biitain in joining with otlmr nui.'uii- a./.innt her old alli's of Waerio't Ili. ..ia*esti;.". a'so beg* llhat you will li,'' King I>hat he .has beia pr'n;.; : ; <!r tit es oi llritish Eu-1.1-Mnrslia! and British Admiral, but i'hai. in • .1 •- qucnee of what 'has occurred be uwst now at once divest himself of .;.,..• titles."

This is the anmingi message pc-v' by the Kaiser, through an ai<lie-de-can'i)i to Sir Edward Gosehcn, until the —ar British Ambassador in Berlin, the morning after ibe declara:ion of war. "I would add," said Kir E. Goshen, in bis report, "that the above nni-sai»e lost none of it's acerbity by the manner of it* delivery." The report was written in London on the Stih inst. and published last ivVfb.! as a White Paper. It deals with i.ihe I final interviews prior to the declaration of war. a nit to the evcnls thai, followed until Sir E. fioschen lelt Berlin.

Sir Edward Goschen begins by saying that in accordance with his li!","r>ic tions from Sir Edward Grey on the <!('!■ inst'., he called on Ile.rr'von Ja.'.rov/. Mi" Foreigm Secretary, the same afternoon, and inquired whether German' would refrain from violating Belgian neu traJitv.

IMPOSSIBLE TO DRAW RACV. Herr von Jagow at once replied that he was sorry to say uiiat his artewer would be "No," as in consequence <>' '''•• German troops waving cros-vd the frontier that morning Belgian neutrality lh -d already ten violated. Herr von again went into the reasons why Germany had' been obliged to tut •'. i namely, that they were to advance into France by the ilasiost and quickest wav, so as 'to be a'-'- to pet well ahead with their operations and endeavour to --■lni'; i > som) decisive blow as early as. p0..5.)bl before the llu&nans could eyl to tjye frontier. It was a mutter ' of life or dealjh for them.

"I pointed out to Herr von Jagow that this fa.it accompli of violation of the Belgian fron'ior rendered {!■■■■ =:'- ua'jon exceedingly gave-, and T ■•s-ed him whether there was not still time to draw back and avo'd posiibV consequences. He point-il out that it ".vn now; impossible for tVi»i l n dm ■• lr?'- "

Sir Edward Ivfer in th... afternoon presented lih e British ultimatum, demanding- an answer by niidu'fjh.t hhn,+ day, and Herr von Jagow ruplied * T ■' .ev.i.,l if twenty-four hours or .wr.- -""t-

given, the, answer must In; <lli;- fi'V. Kir E. Ooschen then saw Uu Cha-ncelW, Herr von Bethmann Hollweg whom he found much agitated,

"WAR FOR A SCRAP OP PAPER.'*

"His Excellency," he says, "at once began a harangue which lapsed for about twenty minutes. He. said that Hie B Uo taken by His Majesty's Government was terrible to a degree; just for a word. neutrality,' a word Which in war time hud «o of en been disr-jjwded— just for a scrap of paper Great BrMiain wa r , goi"K to , r , a l; c ,„.,. on ft s ;in(ln , (l n , v< - who desired nothing better than to be friends wKih her. . . . What we h-ul dono was unthinkable; it was like striking a man from behind while 1,„ was fighting for his life with two assailants. He iheld Great Britain respond-. ' " the ferribk event,, that mirrht happen. I protested strongly against that statemeat), and be said that in thesamo way as he and Herr von Jagow wished me to understand that for strategical reasons it was a roa-l/ter of life and death with Germany to nun through Belgium a , n ,t v.'olate the letter's neuralih, „* T w<Hl ,;{ wish him to understand Hini it was so to speak, a matter of life and d'eath Y,v |IC ~°'l", °' 1 " »f Great Britain that she should keep Iht ,=o!<imn cngigenent <o <!o her utmos.; .to defend Beln-'iumV ~,-,, tnil'ty "f ftacked. That „„1!d com,*.*, b.n,py hid *.* be kent, or whnt confldenee could an-oiie have in ong-.c mr ,.-.. ff.ven'ny Great Britain in the fulurev

T.ILE Cir.VN..!Er,u:-ll YX^TKn. "The ■Cfl'incnlkr said: 'Knl- ;1 f win' pnee will that compart have been kent*' iriw tin, li.itish OovwrniMt-Uiouttht of luiAV "I hinted that fear of 'con-c-I'lx'nly as I could that fear of come Huences could hardly 1„, r ,, wr(lrd ag an cxciwc from .breaking solemn eivi-e im».!s, hut His |.;x.cel!enev v,as so'ex'f". s° evident overcome ,>■■ .the m ,„-, e.f our action, and so little disposed to "e:ir reason that 1 refrained, from ad ii"!! fu.ll to the ilame bv funh.,- ar J,. ment. " B After this "painful interrew," « r y .w , < l ■ t( '''»'-'Vli:« report < u ' ',"g.and. The .t(.l, W ram was accent, .1 "t th '\ «™tral Telegram, OlKc , bu/a „-. onUy never despatched. A Maxes that it iii.ver readied (h nir;,. r , uie eO'ieiim «'l '<'e in .London. "

A o m , p - m - on Au S" Bt «h. A. 0..W p.m., the Under-Secretary of S a,e called w „ Xir K. (; ~>,/,/ Ed •casually" whether o,»r -imh-s. i,rdemand for p.uspor', wrr ,/ ,'„.;.;,■' j to a d(«..larat!io,n of war. HeadWtW '"many could never po.,sibiy,;vet.. as.suranc,. for whWl Kn ,,,.; v f J; o l thertJ,atnig,aor.an yo C l ]li^^ l .;d -Sir K. (Josd.nk f ,Ure„ u .:,, " L f "li^StL'e^r--41., ■ l ' ■ lJlt «<* MU'll ft J.'Oft fl-i Uicir eiißagnnoii'b require,], , Uu , lr ,* li " !l Secre.hry replied that' t,h,,t wiw in f ' a declaration of war '

AX JXDKLIULK STAIX OX ISERLIX. "In -the meantime," adds Sir riwart ""t'-'-r the l.'ndiir-iw.ivtaa-y left „ lt , a lly.ng sliyot, UsucdlKy the lj„. •jJerlin-.r lWUrn., was i-ii-oulaU'u siati.r.« ,;i,v Ureal Britain luili declared war aWuk Germany." The immediato result was an attack Upon idio Jirftiaii iKmJwss',-. f ot tH, H.-rr ron Jagow expressed •'„„„., j ir . L „t. re.t regrets next morning, and said Uixt >i„„> tehavitaur of hi* counhrv;,,,.,, uid made him feci more a.slwm.d'i.lu'n He had words to express. It, w;..* - n < de'ifble s.ain on lh 0 reputation „f : IiCT . Jn- He said the flying a heet Iliad not Iw'n authorised by m:, ( . Kiovw.mwvt. anil the 'pustilentiai 'Tugolblat:,'" had somehow got hold of UlO news and had upset Jii» ciilculaitiwns Then canie the Kaiser's message sent owti above. The report goes on to give details vS the departure from Berlin, '-The Emb-v «v was smuggle a . way in taxU . A])s ig station l,v side-sheets. We .therefore sullPred no molestation mhtttw,.,- and avoided the ta-oatment meted met hj- Hie kZL? my autekn • nd i,,re ** .Sir Edward concludes with, an cxiprcs- >■« of thanks for the courtly reived .*b. tie hand!, at Hot von Jagow « l[

the official* of the FoT©i#n Office, and a high tribute of praise for the behaviour of the Embassy etaff under the moist trying circumsttoces possible. lie also seta on record his appreciation! of Mr Gerard, the American Ambassador in Berlin, who, "undeterred bv the hooting and hisses with wlrVh I'' was often greeted by the mob on entering and leaving 1 «io Embassy, came repiobedly to ask how he could help us and to make arrangements for the safely of straiMfed British subjects. He extricated inaKyi of these from extremely | difficult situations ait some personal risk 'to himlself and hi.s calmaess and aavoir fairo and his firmness fri dealing with the Imperial authorities gave full as9Uranee that the protection of .British subjects and interests could not have been left in more, efficient and oupaible hands." ,