The chronicle=news., 1914-09-02
HERRAR RDDER #
SHOWS CAUSE ,oF |
EUROPEAN war

tBy Herman Ridder. Editor Of The
New York Stats Zeitung.l
The murder OF the archduke OF
Austria was one OF the immediate
causes Of the war 1t led to the
sending of the Austrian ultimatum.
The reports which reached this coun-
try ut the time caused the impression
to become general that the Austrian
government served an important and
rigorous ultimatum which despite Its
severity, was accepted by Scrvia with
but one reservation. The Servians
did not propose to pormIt Austrian
officials to take part in the investi-
CATION to uncover the plot which led
to the murder. basing its refusal on
the necessity of maintaining the dig
nifty OF its government.
3" II has been assumed that the Ser
vians in yielding on all other ques-
tions involved. showed a willingness
to settle the points at issue. Aus
trian sympathizers at first. unaware
of the facts of the case. maintained
that outraged Austria had no more
transgressed its International rights
than the United States had done in
sending the ultimatum to Mexico to
the taking OF Vera Cruz.
The Servian answer has now be-
come a matter of history. What a
surprise to find In the detailed ac-
count OF the Servian reoly not sin
gle unqualified acceptance OF the ul-
timatum. but rather general and
almost complete refusal. II will
hardly be OF interest to the Ameri-
can people to go into all the details.
will suffice to illustrate the tenn
per and character of the answer by
referring to that part of 1t which
deals with the school question.
Austria demanded in its ultimatum
the elimination of such Servian
school teachers as were clearly iden-
tion hg being members of the active
anti-Austrian societies. 1t also asked
the suppression of such Servian
school textbooks which contained
violent anti-Austrian sentiments
Surely. most Americans will agree
with me in saying that propagan-
da that begins in the school room and
inflames the minds OF children
against a neighboring state cannot
help but cause continual state OF
unrest along the border. It throws a
strong light on the hHman element
Of the position taken by Austria.
Servia, in its so-called acceptance
of the ultimatum, deliberately omit
ted to include the "Lehrmittel"
tmeans of teachine) among the
things from " whichsit was to elimin-
ate the anti-Anstrian Influence.
The instance typifies the tone of
the Servians' acceptance" which
was nothing but series OF ambisui-
ties. An ultimatum is last word"
and quibbling answer to 1t is Who'll
ly without dignity. The bitterness
of Servia toward Austria is SO in
tense that 1t is implanted in the
minds of the school children, kept
alive by secret societies and now God
only knows where 1t will end.
All this is in line, with everything
I'VE have learned to expect from Ser
via, state which has been so large
ly in the hands of that arch conspir-
ator of the Russian diplomatic SER
vice. Won Hartwig He who has since
died is the man who prided himself
with having been responsible for the
last few wars in the Balkan country.
He is the man. who, more than any,
one else, fomented national and ra-
|Cfo hotrod In tho polkopa
Reading American history I am
convinced that no American will take
ME to account when I say shat nc ma
;lon of major Importance. whose