a barren, thinly populated tract,
deliberately constructed to permit of the sudden attack upon
Belgium, which was carried out two months ago.

Apportioning the Blame

By Arthur v. Briesen.

Of the law firm of Briesen & Knauth; Doctor of Laws, New York
University; philanthropist; has served the American public as
head of important civic bodies and Governmental commissions.

_To the Editor of The New York Times:_

Having been requested by you to express my views with reference to the
war which is now lacerating Europe, I take pleasure to comply with your
desire.

As an American citizen I am, of course, under obligations to be neutral
and to send no ammunition to either belligerent. At the same time the
German blood in my veins naturally causes me to sympathize with Germany
in this conflict. But even if we leave out of consideration any matter
of sympathy, if we look upon the situation in an entirely unbiased
spirit, the conclusion which I propose to lay before you appears to be
irresistible.

The questions that seem to have agitated the American public mostly in
connection with this awful conflict have been:

_First_--Who is to blame for bringing about this war, and,

_Second_--Assuming that Germany was not to blame for beginning
the war, is she to blame for violating the neutrality of
Belgium?

If we should find the fault regarding the first question to lie
primarily with England and secondarily with Russia, we should at once
clear the German people and their Government from the charge that has
heretofore been brought against them for having incited the war. And if
we should find that the neutrality of Belgium was not binding upon any
country whose existence or whose interests were threatened by other
countries, that fact would then absolve either country from a charge
which thus far seems to have been brought against one of them.

_How was the war brought about?_ As far back as 1906 it is known, and
can be proved by the files of New York papers, to say nothing of
official correspondence now found in Brussels and elsewhere, that
measures were started by England to circumscribe or isolate the German
Empire, and treaties were entered between England, France, and Russia
(the Triple Entente) to insure joint action against Germany when
necessary.

Germany herself has been peaceful, progressive, and anxious to retain
her position as a nation undisturbed by ot