Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-09-23
PRINZ|P'S BULLET
EXPLODED THE MINE.
The Mine Was Ready How
ever and Something Would
Have Fired it Anyway
(By William G. Shepherd, United Press
Staff Correspondent

London, Aug. 25.-(By mail to New
York)-The bullet fired by Gabriel
Prinzip into the brain of Archduke
Ferdinand, of Austria Hungary, came
almost straight from the Servian gov
ernment itself, insisted the AustrO-
Hungarians.
Twenty-Five days after the assassna
tion, Austria Hungary sent note of
demands to Servia. Servia had cOun
tenanced criticism of Austria. Hungary
the note declared. 1t had permitted its
newspapers and its people to carry on
movements in behalf of Slavs in AustrO-
Hungarian dependencies. 1t said that
the assassination of Archduke Fer
dinand had been planned at the Servian
capital. Officers in the Servian army
had helped Gabriel Hrinzip, the Servian
high boy, to get revolver and
ammunition with which to perform
the deed. Servian government officials
along the border had helped Prinzip to
cross into Bosnia on his journey to
SerajevO. Austria Hungary demanded
that Servia, within 4S hours, must print
in the official Servian paper these ex-
act words:
"The royal government of Servia
condemns the propaganda against Aus
tria Hungary which has the aim of
separating Austria Hungary from some
of her dependencies.
The note also demanded that Servia
must curb its free press and its speech
in order to stop criticism of Austria.
Hungary and it must change it's system
| of education so that in the schools
nothing should be taught the children
| that would cause them to hate Astria.
Hungary. Servia must also discharge
| from its army certain officers whom
the AustrO- Hungarians would name and
who had spoken too freely in regard tc
| the crime of June 2S.
Servia was given forty eight hours
in which to comply with all of these de
mands.
Prinzip'S bullet has been flying q
days, directly toward its target. 1t will
soon cut the string which holds Euro
pean civilization hanging over the pre-
cipice of war. 1t will soon reach thu
powder magazine over which Europ,
has been resting these many years. |
will soon reach the heart of peace anC
kill her.
That some night, the night of July 23
the statesmen of Russia, in distant st
Petersburg, received a cablegram from
Servia.
"Help"; it said.
The Russian statesmen talked fo
four Oupo n ohout "a IN 4I,o aoun+r,, l. 90,
of M. Geremykin. They reached som
decision, secretly. AT % clock in tn
evening they dashed off in their auto
mobiles to their various offices, eac
man to do his own work in connection
with what was at hand.
By this time the armies of Europ
were mobilizing.
Servia's forty.eight hours were II
on July 26 at 6 in the evening. But be
fore that time the Russian army wa
moving toward Germany and the Gel
man army was moving toward Russi
and in dozen other different direC
tions.
Prinzip's bullet had reached it
target.
1t had struck the mine under Europ
and this mine will probably kill mi
lion men and create more havoc tha
anything else that has ever happene
to humanity.
What Prinzip really said or though
after he committed the assassination,
not known publicly The Servian COY
ernment, in note, said that he said:
81 was not influenced by any othe
person or persons. The reading Q
anarchistic literature made me beiev
that there could be nothing finer in tn
world than to be an assassin. When i
Belgrade [ read the Archduke was g
ing to Serajevo and so | bought a r,
volver and went there -
; But what he said or thought matter
little, now. Europe is not fighting b.
cause Prinzip was murderer but b.
cause the long and ancient quarrel fC
"a place in the sun - place for eac
nation to put its feet in the crowde
land has suddenly been turned from
; contest of words and diplomacy int
combat on the battlefields.
Some jolt would have set off Il
European mine, some time.
1t just happened that Efinzip's bull,