The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-17
AUSTRIAN CONSUL TELLS
CAUSES or PRESENT WAR
c. l.. Droste, in Statement, Says Eu-
ropean Conflict Due to Hatred
of Germans for Slav..
GIVES PRAISE TO KAISER
Predicts France VIII Be Crushed and
Wtll Lose More Provinces, and
Belgium VIII Lose Independence.
English Navy Only Serious Fnctor.

thousand years ago, when the Huns
| made periodical inroads into Germany
kept alive through the centuries by
hostile acts OF the Nuscovite hordes
according 20 G. l.. Droste, Austro- Hun
garian consul stationed I'm Richmond
has produced Europe's stupendous war
MI Droste. who discussed at length
last night the underlying reasons for
the present conflict indicated his feel
ing That newspaper reports of the war
were not doing the German speaking
nations engaged in Ii. full justice. In
order to correct as far as possible in
correct ideas which have found lodg-
ment in the minds of many people In
this country, with respect to the mo-
tives OF Germany and Austria Hun
gary. Mr.. Droste prepared statement
OF the controversy. which is repro
duced below.
GERMAN EMPEROR MOVED
BY HIGHEST PATRIOTISM
Ihe statement Is strongly pro-Ger-'
man. II credits the Kaiser with the
| highest motives of patriotism In
plunging his nation into war. Justify
ing the conflict on the broad general
ground that 1t Is the old struggle be-
tween the Hun and the German, be-
tween the civilization of Luther.
Goethe and Kant against the civiliza-
tion OF Catherine the Impure. between
the ideals OF Western Europe and the
sensuality of a half-Oriental empire.
Alr. Droste's statement follows:
iuily agree with Lewis Blair when
pc says that there can be only one
outcome of this war, namely that
france VIII be crushed once more. as
| VIII Belgium, and that the latter will
lose It's Independence, tho former some
| additional provinces. with regard TO
Enc land hold that her participation
VIII nave no decisive influence on the
war, as only her navy Is u serious fac
tor In the contest, and the decisive
patties VIII be fought on land IA 10
Russia this country is OF such immense
| proportion that Germany and Austria
hungary might injure. but could never
surrey overcome II. At q certain point
OF exhaustion the belligerents will
listen to proposals OF peace and II
seems to me, as Germany has no such
| interest at stake In Constantinople as
England has, that Russia will demand
This Moslem city as a price OF peace.
|. would be only In case that Turkey
| should ally herself with the tripIe al
| lance, that Germany would never CON
sent to see her robbed OF her CAPITAL.
After the defeat of her land armies
England will probably be willing to
make peace at the price OF restoring
the German colonies, which by that
time she may have taken. The fate
of Italy. whether she remain neutral
or ally herself with Germany's enemies.
appears to me as shrouded In doubts
and as to Japan, If 1t should come,
unasked. TO the aid of England, | sup
pose England would have to force her
ally to restore the German colonies
| that Japan had taken.
MY contention that Germany and
Austria-Hungary will prevail is based
not only on the fighting qualities, the
discipline and the splendid material
In officers from the corporal to the
! field marshal OF the German army. hut
N Ina 1,,,.,
cedented enthusiasm with which Ger
many. not an army of paid mercenaries.
put people In arms, is going into this
war; an enthusiasm equal to that which
fired the breast OF every German, when
In 1912 the King of Prussia Frederick
William Ill, as father of his country
Q1andesvater) published his famous
Call to My People In answering the
question as To the reason of the war
1 shall also explain why there Is such
enthusiasm for this war In Germany
and Austria Hungary, why. as Profess
sor MuenSterberg maintains, the ma
tons forced their Emperors into war.
not vice versa. If Germany had been,
republic II would have had TO 90 10
war Just as we'll, but TO judge from the
French republic, 1t would not have been
half so well prepared for 1t.
HE GIVES REASONS
OF EUROPEAN WAR
TO get at the reasons of the war of
l9l4-lb, we have to go back many cen
turics-in fact, 1000 years-when the
Euns made their periodical inroads into
Germany and extracted tribute. until
III 933 Henry the Fowler, and in 9G6
| Otto the Great, resisted and crushed
them In decisive battles. Then, as now.
Germany was the bulwark for the
whole of Western Europe against the
aggression of the Muscovite hordes, and
the hatred which then grew up in the
German nation, and was we'll deserved
/ by the Huns on account OF their bar
i barous warfare. has never quite died
i out. but persists even unto the present
DAY. To tho German the Muscovite
| danger. which for many centuries Law
| dormant. has become acute once more
during the Seven Years War, when
/ Russia. III the person of her immoral
Empress Catherine. declared war
against Prussia. heroic little Prussia,
which was lighting against Austria and
France already. 10 the German the
Russian has ever been but bleached
Mongol, with an inferior civilizations
inferior ideals. and inferior religion
and with still the old aggrcssivcness
| OF the Hun, who knows no right but
the right Of the lance and sword.
Against Russia. therefore, GERMANY in
Guiding Austria Hungary, has been on
guard ever since. and the never for
| gotten robbery Of the German Baltic
provinces livland, Kurland and Wen
den has but served TO hcighten her
aversion OF her trcacherous serlibar-
barrie neiShbor. In the war OF 1ai2-lj
i Russia came very near retiring after a
few reverses, and. secure In her snow
\ bound wastes. leaving her ally, Prussia
! In the lurch. In 1866 and 1870 Prussia
and afterwards Germany. lived In the
fear of n Russian attack. and since "A
| united Germany was born amid the
thunder of battle ccmentcd together. 10
/ speak with Bismarck. by blood and
iron. the German people have felt that
their next war would be with Russia
would be the struggle between the Ger
manic people against the Hun, the Mus
covite. who now wish TO be known as
'SlaNs.' so rs to deceive the Balkan
states and Austrian Slavs into the be-
lief that they are all brothers, and
ought all to I've children of the Little
I Father" the Car. in ST Petersburg.
I RUSSIA DETERMINED TO
/ EXTEND HER SPHERE
TIE present war had to come. for
| Russia. beaten back by japan. was de-
! termined to extend her sphere Of in
! fucnce. which is another name for
i seizing the land, as far as the Darda-
/ nelles, and she was Just waiting for
an opportunity 10 afford an excuse
! That the war came in July. 1914. may