The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-05
EMPEROR WILLIAM OPENS PARLIAMENT
 WITH WAR SPEECH
Germany Did Utmost to Avoid Conflict, He Says. Has No Desire to
 Conquest

| Berlin August 4.-Emperor W1lllam
 onened the imperial Parliament today with speech from the throne. He said
 if part:
 .The world has been a witness of the interchangeable manner in which we stood in the front rank in the endeavor to save | Europe from war between the great
 rowers The greatest peris due to events in the Balkans appeared to have been
 overcome but then the assassination of
 my friend, the Archduke Francis Ferdi-
 nand opened up a great abyss.
 My ally, Emperor Francis Joseph was compelled to take up arms to protect
 his empire against the dangerous ag1ta-
 tion in neighboring state.
 Tn pursuing it's interests, the Russian | empire stepped in the way of Austria
 Hungary.
 Not only our duty as an ally called us
 to the side of Austria-H Hungary, but the great task was cast upon us to protect our position against unfriendly forces Tt was with heavy heart I was com pelled to mobilize my army. The Russian government giving way to an unsuitable nationalism, has stepped to the side of | a state which, through a criminal act. had brought about the calamity of this war.
 That France also placed herself on the | side of our opponent was not surprising l to us.
 | "The present situation arose not from | temporary conflicts of interests or diplo- matic conversations, but Is the result Of l i'll will existing for years against the | strength and prosperity of the German | empire.
 | we are not pushed on by the regular desire to conquest We are moved by the 1 unbendng desire to secure for ourselves and those coming after us the place on which God has put us.
 My government and, above all my l chancellor tried until the last moment | to prevent the worst happening.
 Tn enforced self defense, with clear conscience and clean hands, we grasp l the sword.
 ''To the peoples and races of the Ger
 man empire my appeal goes forth to stand together fraternally with our allies
 in defense of that which we have created 1 in peaceful work.
 "Following the example of our fore
 fathers firm and faithful. earnest and | cihvalrous, humble before our God. and I ready to fight when in face of the enemy l let us confide ourselves to the everlasting God Almighty who will strengthen our defense and conduct it to good end." l the throne, the Emperor addressed the deputies directly, saying;
 | "Gentlemen, you have read what l said l to my people the other day from the balcony of my castle I reiterate now that I no longer know any parties know only Germans, and in order to tes- tify that you are firmly resolved With
 out distinction of party to stand by my
 side through danger and death, I call
 upon the leaders of the different parties
 in this house to come forward and lay
 their hands in mine as token
 Dr. von Bethmann-H -Hollwegg the impe-
 rial chancellor, said:
 France was able to wait we were not.
 A French aggression into our flank would
 have been disastrous and we, therefore,
 were compelled to overrule legitimate pro-
 tests of the Luxemburg and Belgian gov-
 ernments. We shall repair the wrong We ares doing as soon as our military ex- tremes have been reached Chancellor Bethmann- n-Holwes outlined the procedure of Germany in an endeavor
 to maintain peace, saying: } From the outbreak of the Austro-Serv-
 ian conflict we worked to confine the hostlities to Austria and Servia. All the
 cabinets, particularly that of Great Britain,
 used the same endeavor. Russia alone declared she must have something to . say as to the solution of the conflict l and thereby raised the danger of Euro 3 pean complications.
 AS soon as the fDst definite news was received regarding the Russian military preparations Ne directed friendly z but strong 9nmunicaton pointing out 3 that warlilSe measures against Austria Hungary would find us the side of Z our ally; that military preparations
 against us would force us to correspond
 ing counter measures and that mobilza- g tion would not be far removed from war. | @ ptar nj any sort of military preparations against r us.
 ! Sought to Mediate "In the meantime England sought to y mediate between Vienna and St. Peters burg. We warmly supported her. On
 July 2S. the Emperor of Germany request
 ed the Emperor of Russia to consider a that Austria Hungary had the right and Il duty to protect herself against the great . Servian plots.
 About the same time and prior to the : receipt of this telegram. the Russian Elm peror urgently asked the German Elm peror for his aid and requested the Ger e man Emperor to counsel moderation in - Vienna. The Russian mobilization was decided in principle before the Russian : Emperor addressed himself to the Ger. man Emperor. The latter notified the
 Russian Emperor forthwith that his goot
 offices mediator would be made more : difficult by this general mobilization ,, against Austria Hungary. Nevertheless o we continued our mediation. During this time Russia renewed spon- Y taneously its assurances that it was :, making no military preparations against IT us. July 3l came A decision was tc have been made in Vienna. Our media
 ton already had been successfully to the :. extent that Vienna, under pressure from u us, again had entered into direct con. . versations with St. Petersburg. But be- z fore the decision could be given in Vienna y the news reached us that Russia was '' mobilizing it's entire force, and against = us also.
 Ihe Russian government which knew
 from our repeated representations what
 mobilization against us would mean
 ohnounced that it was mobilizing but
 did not give any explanation concern
 ling it's action
 Later in the afternoon a telegram