Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-28

IF. Hackfeld, weII-known here and
head Of the firm Of II. Hackfeld x
Company OF New York, San Francisco
and Honolulu, who has been In Brem'
en-. Germany, for the past several
months. has written the following artf
Gle on the war, which has just reached
Honolulu by mail:
After England had destroyed all
German Atlantic cables in neutral wa
tiers as her first act during the wal
and had thus, cut off Germany from
nearly all communication with other
nations outside of Europe the govern
ments OF the allied powers - Great
Britain, France and Russia-supp0rted
by the news agencies and press OF
these countries, did everything in
their power TO throw the whole blame
for the war upon Germany and to in
fIuenee the public opinion OF neutral
nations, more particularly Of the Unit
ed States, against Germany and Aus
tria-Hungary,
Germany, not being aware of this
campaign, was therefore for quite a
while unable 10 defend herself and
when she did so found II difficult to
remove the wrong impressions which
had been gained by influential men
and by a large part ofthe press In the
United States Everybody with an
unbiased mind must admit that the
gGerman government has used its best
efforts. In limiting the difficulties
which had arisen in consequences OF
the assassination of Archduke Francis
Ferdinand TO Austria Hungary and
Servia and that Russia made herself
really responsible for the present war
when she offered her full support to
Servia. which had been and still Is
her principal ally, for the purpose Of
weakening and destroying the power
OF Austria Hungary. although the lat
ter state had definitely and repeatedly
agreed that the independence OF Ser
via and the present boundaries OF her
territory should suffer no change at
the end Of the war. which she had felt
herself constrained TO declare against
Servia II must be borne in mind
that the murderer II Archduke Francis
Ferdinand was a Serb. who had been
Influenced in his criminal action by
SerVian officials. as Is now being prov
ed before the court in session at Ser
ajewo. and that Austria, according to
former experiences with Servia, could
expect q lasting Improvement In her
relations with said nation only by.
adopting drastic measures.
The English White Book shows
that Sir Edward Grey exerted himself
to prevent the outbreak OF a Euro
pean war. but unfortunately he could
hardly avoid supporting France on the
strength OF the secret military con.
vention entered into between the two
countries In November, 1912, which
was just about TO be supplemented by
secret agreement with Russia In
regard toka Joint naval action IN case
of war with Germany Gas semi-official-
ly published in Berlin a short time
ago). In fact. Sir Edward Grey makes
this clear-fn his despatch Of July 80 tol
the British ambassador in Berlin and
in his conversation with Prince Lich-
when he declines to entertain
any proposition from Germany having
IN view the neutrality OF Great Brit
ain. Furthermore. he made himself
largely responsible for the war by as
suring Russia OF Great Britain's sup
port. as reported by the Belgian
charge d'affaires at st. Petersburg on
July 80 to HIS government with the
comment that this fact had greatly
the Russian war party
.'Mr. de Bunsen. the British ambas-
sador ct Vienna. tries tto place the!
blame for the war on Germany. claim
Ipg that had Germany postponed send |
Ing her ultimatam to Russia and
France only q few days Europe would
probably have been saved from one OF
The greatest wars in history. as Rus
sia and Austria had on the 30th fofl
July begun once more to confer In re.
gerd to the Servisn difficulties. Hell
does not mention that these new nego.
Iiations had been undertaken at the
urgent suggestion Of the German em.l
peror and does not explain why Rus