Certified by Dr. Bernhard Dernburg, German Ex-Colonial
Secretary.


_The following is presented as a complete defense of the German position
in the present war and is based upon examination of the German and
English "White Papers." It was prepared in Germany and forwarded to Dr.
Bernhard Dernburg, who had it translated for_ THE NEW YORK TIMES _of
Nov. 1, 1914_.

_Dr. Dernburg gives this statement his full approval and accepts complete
responsibility for it._


Two of the five great European powers that are at present engaged in
war, Austria-Hungary and Russia, whose differences for years have been
constantly increasing in sharpness, and after the tragedy in Serajevo
became impossible to be bridged by diplomacy, conjured up the frightful
struggle.

With these two, two other powers are so closely united by alliances that
their participation in the war also was unavoidable; they are Germany
and France.

There are two other great European powers whose relations to the two
aforesaid groups before the war were very much alike in the essential
points. Just as Italy was politically tied by alliance to the central
powers, so England was with the Franco-Russian Alliance. Hence it was
uncertain how these countries, each geographically removed from the main
body of the Continent, would act in a war, and it seemed quite possible