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Show THRUSTS BLAME on wmi Bethmann-Hollweg Says Efforts Ef-forts to Keep Away From U-Boat War Foiled. BERLiIX, Oct. 31. (By the Associated Tress.) Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, German Ger-man chancellor during the greater part of the war. spent nearly two hours in the witness chair today before the national assembly subcommittee which is investigating investi-gating what had been the possibilities for bringing about peace during the war. Tho former chancellor said he sharply condemned tho submarinoi warfare, but admitted the influence of Admiral von Tirpitz. General Ludendotff and Field Marshal von Hlndenburg was so strong that the German people were absolutely convinced of its justification, and followed fol-lowed their generals blindly. His voice almost broke with emotion as he told of his efforts to meet his responsibilities, re-sponsibilities, both to the people at homo and the soldiers In the trenches. When he trid to oppose the submarine war. he said. Generals Ludendorff and Von Hlndenburg Hln-denburg wired the foreign affairs office that Germany would lose the campaign on the west front and that sho must have the submarine war. it was considered, according to the former for-mer chancellor, that even America, should she enter the war, could be handled, ami the army authorities threw down the gauntlet to political figures who opposed the submarine campaign. Warnings not to underestimate America, which the former chancellor said he issued, failed of their purpose, because, he declared. de-clared. Intense hatred of America ruled solidly In all political circles owing to the delivery of ammunition to tivc entento bv the United States. The committee requested answers from Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg. who was Chancellor when the war broke out and held of.'ice until July H, 1917, to the following fol-lowing three questions: First Why did the central powers make their peace offer on December Isl6 when action by President Wilson for peace had been suggested by Germany an,i a certain prospect of such sctlon wrs held out. at the latest, for the end of December? De-cember? Second Why were concrete peace conditions con-ditions not communicated to President Wilson? Third Why. instead of pursuing the Idea of action toward peace bv President Wilson, did Germany assent "to ruthlei submarine warfare If she knew It would lead to war with the Fnlted st.ites" l)r. Bethmnnn-Hollweg acknowledged that the facts established In the course of the proceedings were correct, and admitted ad-mitted Germany's wish had been to elite-a elite-a conference which President Wilson was willing to join. Replying to the first of the three qunx-tions qunx-tions he had been asked to answer, the former chancellor said: "If President Wilson was up-,et because the central powers dl.1 not wait for his peace step, he did not allow this to influence influ-ence nls action." Dr. von Bethmann-Hollwecr would not assert that President Wilson Was not in earnest In holding out a prospect of pence action, but said there was a long series of facts throwing doubt on whether if'n.i ! when he (President Wilson) would rarrv ! out his resolve, which led the German I government to doubt whether his inter I vention would come soon enough ' According to Com-,; . vr, Bsriistorffs (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) THRUSTS BLAME ; ON 'MILITARISTS' (Continued From Page One.) reports, the former chancellor decln red, the president was accustomed to show hesitancy and dilatoriness, and appeared handicapped by his own and his country's coun-try's relationship to the entente. "We could not sec into the president's soul," said Von Rtbmann-Hollweg. "However, he had no friendly feeling for Germany, as was recently declared by Premier Clernenceau In the senate. .Moreover, .More-over, the commercial relations of England Eng-land and tbe United States for the supply of armaments were bound severely to restrain re-strain the president's peace1 action, and ft would have been venturesome to take his peace action as a certain factor and otherwise other-wise to remain inactive. For military reasons Germany could not wait indefinitely. indefi-nitely. "In order not to give the impression of weakness, th German peace offer had to come at a time when our military successes suc-cesses were at the highest. Moreover, it was necessary to show the German people that the government desired peace ami was only waging a defensive war. ?t was calculated, further, that Lbq peace offer ! would increase the entente peoples' will for peace, and they would influence their governments in favor of negotiations. Unfortunately, Un-fortunately, the entente replied to . the German offer with a flat refusal, and the war had to be continued." |
