The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-09-15
FEAR, OF SiLAV
INVASION LED.
To GREAT WAR.
Bernhard Knollenberg Gives
Cause of Germany's Fight
ing From Observations
While Abroad.

with grim determination and a
patriotic eagerness, the Germans are
fighting their own war, not the
kaiser's unless he represents the ex-
ponent Of the German people, against
the Slavic peril. the force which
threatens some time to destroy Ger
many. The Germans wanted the war
to forestall Slavish invasion of
Western Europe"
In this statement made by Bern
hardt knollenberg. his opinion Of the
cause and purpose of the war Is ex-
pressed. He made a twenty-minute
talk last night before the Commercial
club members.
Right in the center Of things as we
were, we did not have an idea that
war was imminent" Mr.. Knollenberg
stated, referring to a period in July
when he was member of a peace
conference in England.
II reached England on July 13 after
touring France. The first inkling
had that war might come and come
soon was from a woman. An Austrian
woman made speech before the con-
ference in which she told us that we
should not try to establish peace for
the future, but We should find plan
that would prevent war now. She said
Austria-Hungary was threatened with
death in the next three months. Our
crown prince has been shot. We must
go to Servia for the cause. Servia is
being urged on by Russia. Russia is
mobilizing and will crush u.s.
Call Germans Home.
ION July 21, left for Norway
Leaving a ford at Scandinavia We
could see German war vessels which
were exceeding the speed of eighteen
knots an hour We know something
was wrong. On my way to Kiel later,
l met a young German who was called
home not for the purpose Of mobiliza-
ton but so he could be found If he
were needed. He told use he had been
notified to go to his home and said
he feared he would have to 60 to war
1--WE were stopped outside the Kiel
harbor by a wireless message. W
found out that the harbor was COM
pletely mined against invasion, as il
is the most stragetic German harbOr
and military base Further in a steel
cable was stretched across the two
mile mouth to prevent torpedo d.
stroyers and other small boats from
entering.
After a short wait, government
officers piloted the vessel through the
mines and took us to a passage in the
steel cable. l was met on the pier
by my relatives. The women were
crying. They told me that mobiliza-
ton had not been ordered but officers
had been notified to be at their homes
ready to start operations. They said
that great difficulties seemed ahead
of Germany.
Order Mobilization.
"On July 81, came the order to mob
ilize troops. Russia had ordered her
mobilization and France Woulds do SO.
1t was in the mobilization that we saw
the German system and efficiency.
The soldiers are divided into fifteen
olassifications. One class was order
ed to mobilize each day for fifteen
days, when the operations would be
complete.
Under the German system, the SOL
diers do not go to the nearest base Of
military supplies but they go to the
point where received their training.
In this way, every regiment is made
up of men who were trained together
and who know each other.
Fearing that officers would be
short of funds, the government sent to
every one, an envelope containing 500
marks. Every detail was prepared for
in advance. Notices were posted
specifying exactly what rates the cit
izens should charge for caring for the
soldiers. The stations were kept free
from citizens so that soldiers arriving
on every train would not be confused.
Notices were posted giving directions
as to where members of ever company
should assemble. Horses were called
in and those which were kept were
paid for with paper which can be cash
ed after the war
Women in Fields.
There was no sign of flinching any
where. The next day the women were
out at o'clock in the morning with
sickles. They had big Milwaukee
mowers but the horses were gone and
women took their places with sickles
in order to cut the crops.
THE newspapers contained only
news which the government censored.
But many rumors were afloat. Some
were quite startling. Two were en-
phasized os they seemed to be semi
official. One said that Japan had
taken up arms against Russia. An
other was to the effect that United
States was marching against Canada
to wrest it from England. These ru-
mors caused great excitement as both
were favorable to the Germans"