Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-28

IF HackfeId, well-known here and
head OF the firm Of II. Hackfeld &
Comuany Of New York, San Francisco
and Honolulu, who has been in Brem-
On. Germany. for the past several
months. has written the following arti-
Gle on the war. which has just reached
Honolulu by mail: .
After England had destroyed all
German Atlantic cables in neutral wa
tiers as her first act during the war
and had thus cut off Germany from
nearly all communication with other
nations outside OF Europe the govern
ments OF the allied powers - Great
Britain, France and Russia-supported
by the news agencies and press Of
these countries, did everything in
their power to throw the whole. blame
for the war upon Germany and to in
flnence the public opinion OF neutral
nations, more particularly Of the Unit
ed States, against Germany and Aus
tria-Hungary.
Germany, not being aware OF this
campaign, was therefore for quite a
while unable to defend herself and
when she did so found II difficult to
remove the wrong impressions which
had been gained by influential men
and by a large part OF the press In the
United States. Everybody with an
unbiased mind must admit that the
German government has used its best
efforts In limiting the difficulties
which had arisen in consequence OF
the assassination OF Archduke Francis
Ferdinand to Austria.Hungary and
Seryia and that Russia made herself
really responsible for the present war
when she offered her full support to
seryia. which had been and still Is
her principal ally. for the purpose Of
weakening and destroying the power
OF Austria Hungary. although the lat
ter state had definitely and repeatedly
,agreed that the independence Of Ser
via and the present boundaries OF her
territory should suffer. no change at
the end OF the war. which she had felt
herself constrained to declare against
Seryia. II must be borne in mind
that the murderer II Archduke Francis
Ferdinand vas q Serb, who had been
Influenced In HIS criminal action by
Servian officials. as is now being PROV.
ed before the court in session at Ser.
ajewo, and that Austria, according to
former experiences with Servia, could
expect a lasting Improvement in her
relations with said nation only by
adopting drastic measures.
''The English White Book shows
that Sir Edward Grey exerted himself
TO prevent the outbreak OF Euro
pean war. but unfortunately he could
hardly avoid supporting France on the
strength OF the secret military con
vention entered into between the two,
countries IA November, 1912, which
was Just about 70 be supplemented by
a secret agreement with Russia In
regard 70 joint naval action IN case
OF war with Germany Gas semi-official-
ly published in Berlin a short time
agol. In fact, Sir Edward Grey makes
this clear in his despatch Of July 80 to
the British ambassador in Berlin and
in his conversation with Prince Lich.
nOwsky when he declines TO entertain
any proposition from Germany having
ii view the neutrality OF Great Brit.
ain. furthermore, he made himself
largely responsible for the. war by as.
surfing Russia OF Great Britain's sup.
port as reported by the Belgian
charge d'affaires at st. Petersburg on
July 80 to his government with the
comment that this fact had greatly
the Russian war party.
Mr.. de Bunsen. the British ambas-
sador at Vienna. tries to place the
blame for the war on Germany. claim
ing that had Germany postponed send
Ing her ultimatam to Russia and
France only q few days Europe would
probably have been saved from one of
the greatest wars In history, as Rus.
STA and Austria had on the 30th OF
July begun once more to confer in re.
gard to the Servian difficulties. He
does not mention that these new neg6
tiations had been undertaken at the
urgent suggestion Of the German EN-.
peror and does not explain why Rus