The Daily News. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1918. HERTLING'S ARROGANCE.
The speech which the German Chancellor h&s just delivered to the Main Committee of the lieiclist&g lias rightly been characterised as insolc'nt, bombastic and arrogant. It is the most, stupendous example of Teutonic impudence that has ever boen gives by the mouthpiece of Prussian militarism, and demonstrates conclusively that, in spite of all the hypocritical assurances that Germany was striving for peace, the dominant pan-Germans are bent on embittering the struggle, and prolonging it until one side or the other U foreed to accept terms dictated by the Victors. The Chancellor followed in the well-worn groove of his predecessors by throwing all the blame on Britain for pot Showing an '•'earnest desire" for ! peace, but he completely obliterated the point of his argulnent by his blaring trumpr 'i'2 as to Germany's favorable position, at the present juncture of hostil* j (ties. The terms of this remarkable ora- ' j . tiOn were settled at a Crown! Council, ; find it certainly bears all the impress of the cunning MachiaVellism which so impressed Frederick the Great. No more striking touch of comedy could be conceived than the Chancellor expressing his inability to understand how Mr Lloyd George can adjudge Germany guilty of the utmost possible crimes. It requires but little imagination to picture tliis self-avowed saint of a chancellor holding Up his hands in protest at such an infamous slander on it nation that has a Kaiser who poses as the vice-regent of a ft god of war>*»wlio, according to flertling, "is with us and will not leave us." "Such a nation," he asserts, "cannot go under.' 1 By parity of reasoning, guch a nation cannot commit crimes that have aroused the indignation of the World. Why quibble over tertns? If the hideous brutalities and barbaric tortures ■committed by the Germans arc hot crimes, what are they? They are facts, recorded in blood, and will go down to history as the great blot on the civilisation of the present age. Taking his stand on such a basis, it is easy to follow the trend of Count von Hertliog's exposition of Germany's case. It was not Germany that was bent on aggression; it was King Edward VII, who endeavored to create a coalition against Germany and Austria. We are .led to infer that Germany's forty years' preparation for war was due to King Edward's intrigues; out the missing link in this argument is that when t the war broke -out Britain was totally Unprepared, and if the German Chancellor can reconcile these two astounding : opposites, he will be the cleverest man on earth. He will equally enhance Ms reputation if he truthfully explains the real meaning of his statement: "Until the enemy unconditionally eoncedes the territorial integrity of the Central Powers, I shall reject all proposals to remove the Belgian question from the joint general negotiations." Such a ridiculous Statement was a mere appeal for applause from the Gorman gallery. The territorial integrity of Germany has never been questioned. It is her seizure and violation of territory belonging to other Powers that caused the war. The mention of Belgium in this connection was a studied insult that was meant to cut deeply, but coming from such a tainted source, it may be treated with the contempt it deserves. The mention of N'ortWn rraij»» being a "valuable
pawn" clearly indicates the kind of gamble- in which Germany ia engaged, and the litter unserupulousness of her methods. This, of course, is ancient history, but it emphasises the need of reducing her to complete submission to that code of international justice 011 which alone the peace of the worid nil be securely built. The Chancellor's attempt to saddle President Wilson with an inferred proposal that Britain should give up her naval bases at Gibraltar, Malta, Aden, Hong Kong, the Falkland* and other "points d'appui" is a monstrous piece of insolent audacity Baron von Hertling asks for an alteration in the Allies' programme of peace before Germany will What? Enter on peace negotiations? Certainly not. Merely for Germany to "test it earnestly." "But," added the Chancellor, "this is impossible while the lasting integrity of the German Empire, the security of its vital interests, and its dignity as a Fatherland are not ensured." This is equivalent to stating that unless the .Entente Powers recognise the reality of the Teuton motto "Germany Over All," there can be no peace. It must be Germany first, last and all through the piece, and then her aims will be satisfied. She refuses to make any definite statement as to Belgium. She evades all the real issues involved in a discussion of peace terms, but iB artfully endeavoring to make her enemies disclose their hands while ghe veils her own, and relies on bluff. The Chancellor was speaking according to instructions by the Crown pouncil. If, as he asserted, the Germans know how to differentiate between the realities of life and fantastic dreams, Why does ho not give them the chance by tolling them the truth, and not feed them up on "fantastic dreams," the (awakening from which will rend the Fatherland, and bring to account the malevolent rulers, whose stock in trade is arrogance, misrepresentations and tyranny, Hertliog completely exposed German aims, and in so doing banged the door of peace and braced up the Entente Powers to their utmost efforts to win the war and rid the world of the machinations of the wily Huns. The Chancellor's bluff need not be taken seriously. What is of far more importance « the great movement in Austria vhidi bids fair, if properly handled, to leave Gsrmany to what is vulgarly expressed as "et»w in her own juice."
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Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1918, Page 4
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950The Daily News. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1918. HERTLING'S ARROGANCE. Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1918, Page 4
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