Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-09-26
Danger in Ultimate
''.-@ Victory for the Allies
Prof. John w.. Burgess Ably Defends Kaiser's Action; Believes
~ His Defeat Would Be World Disaster.

Prof. John w. Burgess states the
German side Of the controversy excel
lently in the following article:
'"Russia has now recovered from
the losses of the Japanese war and
the internal anarchy which followed
it.; France had perfected her mill
tary organization; Turkey was now
driven by the allied Balkan states out
of the calculation as an anti-Russian
power; Bulgaria, Austro- Hungayy's
ally, was now completely exhausted
by the war with Turkey and that with
her Balkan allies, now become n
mics; and Great Britain was in dire
need of an opportunity to divert the
mind of her people away from the in
ternal questions which were threat
ening to disrupt her constitution. The
practical ear could discern the buzz
OF the machinery lifting the hammer
to strike the hour OF Armageddon.
And it struck. The foul murder OF
the heir Of the Hapsburgers set the
civilized world in horror and the
Austro-Hungarian empire in mourn
ing. In tracing the qualifications OF
the treacherous plot, the lines were
found to run to Belgrade. And when
Austro-Hungary demanded inquiry
and action by a tribunal in which
representatives from Austro-Hungary
should sit, Servia repealed the de-
mand as inconsistent with her dig
nifty. Believing that inquiry and ac-
ton by Servia alone would be an in
quiry and no action, Austro-Hungary
felt obliged to take the chastisement
OF the criminals and their abettors in
to its own hands. Then Russia in
tervened to, stay the hand of Austro-
Hungary and asked the German en-
peror to mediate between Austro-
Hungary and Servia.
"The emperor undertook the task.
But while in the midst of it he learn
ed that Russia was mObilizing troops
upon his own border. He immediate
ly demanded of Russia that this
should cease, but without avail or
even reply. He protested again with
like result. Finally, at midnight on
the 31st Of July, his ambassador at
st. Petersburg laid the demand be-
fore the Russian minister of foreign
affairs that the Russian mobilization
must cease within twelve hours, 9TH
erwise Germany would be Obliged to
mobilize. At the same time the en-
peror directed his ambassador in
Paris to inquire of the French gov
eminent whether, in CASE of war be-
tween Germany and Russia, France
would remain neutral?
The Case Of Belgium.
Gas France could move faster than
Russia the Germans turned the force
of their arms upon her. They under
took to reach her by way of what
they supposed to be the lines Of least
resistance. These lay through the
neutral states of Belgium and Luxem-
burg. They claimed that France had
already violated the neutrality OF
beth by invasion and by the flying OF
their war air-ships over them, and
they marched their columns into
both.
Belgium resisted. The Germans
offered to guarantee the %independ-
ence and integrity of Belgium and in,
demnify her for all loss or injury it
she would not further resist the pass
age of German troops over her soil.
She still refused and turned to Great
Britain. Great Britain now inter-
,yeped and in the negotiations with
demanded as the price OF
her neutrality that Germany should
not use her navy against either
France or Russia and should desist
from her military movements through
belgium, and when the Germans
asked to be assured that Great Brit
ain herself would respect the neutral
.ity of Belgium throughout the en-
tire war on the basis of the fulfill
ment of her requirements by Ger
many. the British government maze
no reply, but declared war on Ger
many.