New-York tribune., 1914-12-01
FRENCH YELLOW BOOK
TELLS HOW WAR BEGAN
Germany in Secret Report in 1913 Urged Stirring Up Of
S,rife--British Four-Power Peace Plan Rejected
Kaiser Won Over by Militarss.

FaTiS, Nov oO.-- ne j Fe'lNi4 .ii"is - =
% Foreign Affairs to-day made pubic
a yellow book bearing on the causes
! of the war This volume Is IndcE more
/ complete than the publications OF this
/ nature given out by ether govern
:nents. 1t has ZIG pages and comprises
l60 documents.
Il is devoted primarily to a recital
! of the negotiations which followed the
delivery of the Austrian note TO
Servia. July %, and which preceded
! the declaration of war by Germany on
Russia, August 1, and on France, Au-
gust 8. II closes with reproduction
of the declaration of the Triple En-
| tente powers that Great Britain, kus-
sia and France would not conclude
peace separately.
The French diplomatic documents IN
this book are divided into chapters IN
| order to distinguish the prelimlnaIles
from the principal phases of the Eu-
ropean crisis. The first chapter is en-
titled "Preface," and is devoted TO the
remoter regions and the deeper causes
of the conflict. An extract of the yell
low Book, given out officially in faris,
reads as follows:
at was first in the spring of 1913
nensivc military effort which alone
con exnlain the desire 70 impose the
Germanic superiority and hegemony
nnon the powers of the Triple En-
tentc When France responded TO this
menace by the drafting of the law OF
tbree years service in the army this
measure of defence was denounced in
official circles in Berlin as 'provoca-
~ ha tnlQratpN.
Secret German Report.
"1r Anril of 1913 a secret and of
fetal German report dehned 'tne op,
iective and the means OF the hatIoiIH. hSt
DoI;cv, as follows: Convince the people
| nf the necessity of an offensive war
against France; prepare uprislnes ~,
tor IN ease of hostilties, the imme-
date absorption of Belgium anu iio'
land .,..o,,od :, this
renort. such is the programme that'
shortly after, we saw the Germans en-
deavor TO put into operation. ,.
eve declare that Emperor william
u,bo nm 10 that time had posed as a
cbamnion of peace. admitted IN inc
co,,rse OF conversation with the King
~ tho Belgians that he had fnaily
cop,a N share the ideas of his mill.
tarv advisers. He had placed hlmsell
smonq the partisans OF war whlch
bn tbouoht would not be long de-
leyed and the overpowering success
of which seemed to him certain. fup,
I;c oninion. in its turn, permitted
;.so,f 70 he won over by the passions
of the military party and came 10
corsider the affair of Agadlr as de-
toat for Germany. 1t regarded the ex-
;stonce Of a strong France as dah-
aar to Germany, and the breaking out
ef a European war as the only remedy
for oil difficulties and all uncertainties
f.Tbo,e bellicose dispositions constr
,u.ed a permanent danger for the peace
Of Eurore. , .ho civ other
.,,ntors of che Yellow Book. when
are devoted to the diplomatic negotla-
t;ons carried on in July, there IS 10 De
deducted and supported BY evidence
tho following Impressions; lha' tne
/ e,au ;,;r,f:on between Austria and Ger
49,, had decided upon war, ana that
an fou- successive occasions inns com
b;nat;oo endeavored 20 prccipltale wal
NV violent proceedings, the purpose oi
which ,caa to prevent, or 10 insule III
to;jure Of. all efforts at conciliation'
Precipitating the War.
"Tbe first Of these proceedings was
the Austrian ultimatum 70 oerVla N'uIS
2D. which was the origin OF ',Ls 1nI
d;ci. In spite of the fact tna' the pei.
Grade government ohereo' Ioi w! uie
Prosecution of the assassinS oI lme
P,.;an arcbduke, every facility COM
nu;t a.;tIo y,i,h It's dignity, the Cabinet OF
ne Sso,u snmmoned the government at
pnI',rade not only 10 disavow all com
,J;n;,,- Nth the crime of SarayeVo, out'
PP,s,termore. TO permit foreign iunc-
,;nnaries TO seek the authors Oh TINS
cr;mo on Servian territory.
"Vieuna gave Servia only two days
L. ,ccent integrally these Draconian
cond;tions. In spite OF the fact that
NJ von Joeow, the German Minister OF
Toroion Affairs, claimed TO be IN igno-
80 NJ the contents OF this note
Tr,h;cb was nevertheless known 10 the
,,"as;dent of the Bavarian Couneii),
Germany Immediately and without re-
etrictior united herself win her any
,rt,a German Ambassador came 10 the
Quo; d'Orsay (the French Foreign Of
g. in ParisD and endcavorcd TO carry
through a proposal when ne repre-
sonted AZ being peaceful, but which
vas in reulity threatening. lie de-
clared thai the conflict should remain
Iocalized.' sad that any Intervention
on the part Of third power would re,
sult in 'incalculable consequences
This was tantsmount TO letting IT be
understood that Austria should have
every liberty to crush Scrvia and that
Germany would have recourse to arms
20 prevent Russia from suecoring Ser
via.
"Confrontcd with this situation. the
frs. thought Of the powers forming the
Trjplc Entente was 10 gain time To ex-
omine the conflict with greater care
and If possible to render il less acute.
The powers therefore asked that
Vienna extend the period Of delay al
lowed Servs for her answer. Then
austria became fearful that she would
bo left without pretext for war. and
she endeavored to ward of this danger
Ly another cxpedient. She deel lined or
sYo.d.1 the request Spr an extension