The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1916. HERR HOLLWEG'S "IFS."

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1916. HERR HOLLWEG'S "IFS."

The remarkable utterances of the German ChancelSor;. Herr von Bethmann Hollweg, as reported in yesterday's cable news, are worthy of more than passing consideration. In the first place it will be noted that he has not only adopted ar expedient which is rare)}', if ever, used, except in cases of grave crisis—a ;onference with the party leaders—but he has taken care that a report of the proceedings (no doubt carefully revised) should be published to the world at large. Both these actions denote that the gravity of the German position is not only recognised, bus that there is evidently u concerted attempt by tin: (icriinin authorities to prepare the people of the Fatherland 101 tiie news of the impotence of the German armies against the mature strength of the Allies, and while still fostering their belief in the impossibility of a disaster to the German nation, yet insinuating the advisableness of jettisoning all dreams of territorial aggrandisement and devoting at tention to securing the best possible terms of peace. The Chancellor is a past master in the art of subtle suggestion, «j much so that he cannot get away frog Ihe ingrained instinct to distort a§S3 misrepresent facts so as to a end thes to his own purposes. It will be sesri that his remarks at the conference w«C all based on hypothetical assumptions This metlicd is generally regarded asth refuge of those who are destitute of ■■ good ease on the merits. The very fact of arguing on an hypothesis denotes W'( absence .of any solid foundation for SI J reasons adduced to further any parliw- : lar end. When used by statesmen, fli> ' u'.llacious, aivl frequently ingenuou'.method is purposely adopted to reli'-.i I tiie speaker from all official responsibi. t i fcr his utterances and to afford nr . loopholes of escape when the searehlL*. of public opinion is brought to bear on the matter of the pronouncements, ani in this way language is utilieed to concoal aud not to reveal tha thoughts nA

intentions of the speaker. Herr Hollweg's speech at the conference in question was entirely based on that little word ''if." It cropped up in the opening sentence. ''lt might," lie hinted—another marked peculiarity—''be difficult to maintain their present line from the Baltic to the Pripet marshes, especially 'jf Britain throw the whole might of her new armies into the scale." The more this utterance is scrutinised tho plainer it becomes that especial care and ingenuity were exercised in the choice of words. Firstly, there is expressed a possibility of something happening, but even that is wrapped up in a hint, as if it were more likely to be remote than contingent, and here again the cloven hoof appears, for the Chancellor knows only too well that it is Russia and not Britain who is master of the situation m the Baltic provinces, but he is cunning enough to discern that the mention of Britain is akin to waving a red flag in front of an infuriated bull. It is thus Hon - Hollweg prepared the ground for the seed he proposed to sow, and the only satisfaction to be derived from the |.recess is the recognition that the whole weight of Britain's new armies is a factor that may and probably will be decisive in the fate of Germany. Having administered a mild dose of sensation that might lead to a scare, the Chancellor proceeds to adopt the soothing process, but it hung on a thread so slender that the weight of the evening dew would strain it to breaking point. "If," he said, "the Germans could hold thenpresent lines," then he conjured up a picture—doubtless not lac! ~; in liigh coloring—of Britain wearyii.g of tho struggle, and the Entente becoming a mere name. "Britain wearying!" Could any possibility be move absurd? If there is one attribute of Britain and the British it is dogged tenacity. Herr Hollweg is under no illusion as to the determination of Britain and her Allies to see this war to an absolute conclusion, and he -.veil knows that the object of the Entente Powers is to stamp out German militarism. Nothing daunted, the force of ingrained habit compelled him to endeavor again to throw dust in the eyes of liis people, but the method was flat, stale, and unprofitable. Proceeding with his insinuating arguments, the Chancellor went on to draw yet another picture, and that, too, on indirect lines. There is a change in the phraseology; "if" is replaced by "perhaps," but the intention is all the same. It is so easy, when tho nemory of the people generally is notori. ously short, for the hypothetical words to be lost and the assumptions to become facts. Therefore, Herr Hollweg states that "perhaps" before the end of the year Russia wojild be without Western help, and could not then carry on, Italy could be bought off and France, as well and Belgium placated. Into the methods whereby this illusory scheme of patching up a peace is to be carried out we need not enter, for they are outside the pala of reason or likelihood. Herr Hollweg was distinctly unfortunate in selecting his time for th'l3 startling effort. It comes at a moment when»the wliolo v/orld is aghast at the horrible atrocities whicb reveal in all its naked fieridisliness the acme of German frightfillness. Appart from all other considerations—and they are weighty beyond all measure—the Allies must turn a deaf ear to all peace schemes until the foul blots on civilisation are expunged and the perpetrators adequately punished. Herr Hollweg should prostitute his intellectual powers in some other field that might bring about a modicum of success. At present he is only adding fuel to tho flames, and making himself the laughingstock of all the people who count in international affairs.