The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-29
BIDDER DECLARES
 GEAR RESPONSIBLE E
 FOR POWERS WAR

Herman Bidder. one of the leaders. of German-Annersi sentiment in this country, writing today in the New Sun, puts the blame for the European waron the Czar of Russia. He says:
 have had occasion from time to time, to mention that Russia has, been primarily responsible for the present war Tn this connection wish to pre- sent a few facts which bear a close relation one to the other, and which have a considerable bearing upon the situation.
 The course of European politics ran it's more or less troubled way until the pesred to be guaranteed by the ball. az1ee of power between the Triple AL lance and the Fri pie Entente
 During the year 1912 an understand : Ing was reached between France and Russia and preparations were begun Tor the war against Germany and Austria. At that time the Russian Standing army on a peace footing was approximately $50, coo
 In 1912 the reserves of the preceding year instead of being discharged were ordered to remain with the colors. thereby increasing the standing army to 1900, GOO This partial mobilization was aimed particularly against Aus tria. When the documents and letters which were exchanged during the last three years between France and Rus. sla become public property there will De ample evidence to show that these two nations have acted upon a pre- ara nged plan in order to be prepared 10 strike the blow when they consid-s cred the time was right
 Last year two important develop ments in this connection stand out prominently. The one the visit of Gen. Joffre, now the comma l1t1er-in- chief of the French forces and at that time the head of the general staff, to St, Petersburg for the purpose of com pleting arrangements with the Rus siam general staff for a combined at tack upon Germany on the part Of France and Russia The other at about the same time DeIcasse, who is at present French minister of foreign affairs, the portfolio now being called minister for the national defense, was the French am bassador at St. Peters burg.
 Delcasse arranged a French loan for the purpose of developing the strate- gfc Russian railway and military fa- cflities and for increasing the Russian army by four army corps. bringing it's total strength to forty-one corps. of l which thirty-three could be used in Europe
 As a result of the visit of Joffre and the arrangement of Delcasse Russia had planned a general mobilization for October I. 1914, intending to put itself upon a war footing and concentrate it's troops on the German and Austrian frontiers. The diplomatic situation in view of the isoIating of Germany and Austria was so much in favor Of the F'ra neo-Fsu ussian noveme ents that this general order was advanced from Oc- tober to July of this year
 Naturally these events caused con- siderable uneasiness in the minds or the German an6 Austrian govern ments The kaiser made als energetic protest to St. Petersburg in au unofl- cial manner, objecting to these war like preparations on the part of Rus sia-
 Puh4se opinion in Germany was aroused and the German government decided upon the e4traordinary meas ures of national defense which caused so much comment in the press a few i months ago
 In this connection a few words about l the military situation along the Rus sian frontier. The advance of the 1 Rlssis1l army into East Prussia shows I how well prepared, at least according f to Russian standards, the Russians were for the war against Germany. i Her troops were already concentrated i on her frontier on a war footing and l prepared for a determined advance I against the German fortresses.
 This advance, however, has been I grea t1y overestfn1ated by the reports l print ed during the last few days. Any 1 body who is versed in the geograhpi-
 cal position of eastern and western 1 Prussia must realize that it is very l difficult to hold these two provinces l against superior Russian forces. Theil l borders stretch far into Russia, ane 1 are har1ked by R5lssian Poland The 1 fortifeations on the extreme eastern frontier of Germany are of provin- cial character and were hurried15
 erected at the breaking out of hostili-
 ties Their purpose was solely to pro- I tect the mobilization of the German l army against Russian cavalry raids
 They have fully served that purpose.
 At the present time with the Rus sian armies advancing the German
 border troops are slowly retreating
 making the progress Of the enemy as
 difficult as possible It is of courss
 disagreeaable for the German govern
 naent to leave a precious part of thu
 German soil temporarily in the hands
 of the enemy and to expose it to tht
 rack and ruin of. the invading army
 However, military exigencies abso l IuteIy demand the evacuation of thes,
 provinces.
 PRINCES DARING ACT