Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-08-28
international News Service.

Vienna.-The great and cruel war
that now bids fair to devastate and
i~mpoverish all Europe was directly,
though not primarily, caused by Aus
.ria-Hungary's declaration Of war
against Servia. Slavonic Russia came
10 the aid of the Slavs of Servia and
Germany took her place beside Aus
tria. This brought about a clash OF
the triple alliance and the triple
entente and France and England were
drawn in.
The real last straw Of the great
conflict, therefore, that broke the
cameTs back of the peace of Europe
was the manifesto of the aged EN-
peror Joseph of Hungary.
For the first time this edict is here
with given in full, as the ruler of the
dual monarchy wrote it:
Dear Count Sturgkh:
l have resolved to instruct the min
listers of my household and foreign af-
fairs to notify the royal Servian gov
eminent of the beginning of a state of
wal between the monarchy and Servia.
III Ills Adt6lul uOuI i lSSl Tic ASSO VI
turning to my beloved people. / COM
mand you, therefore. to publish the
lnclosed manifesto.
Manifesto.
To My Peoples; 1t WIZ ny fervent
wish to c~onsecrate the years, which,
by the grace of God, 9TH remain to
me, to the words OF peace and to pro-
tect my peoples from the heavy sac
rifices and burdens of war. Provi
dence, in its wisdom, has otherwise
decreed. The i~ntrigues of a maley-
client opponent compel me, In the de-
Tense of the honor of my monarchy,
for the protection of its dignity, and
its position as a power for the security
Of its possessions, to grasp the sword
after long years of peace. With a
quickly ~forgetful ingratitude, the king
dom of Servia which, from the first
beginnings of its independence as a
state until quite recently, has been
supported and assisted by my ances-
tors, has for years trodden the path of
open hostility to Austria-Hungary
When, after three decades of fruitful
work for peace in Bosnia and Her
zegovina, / extended my sovereign
rights to those lands, my decree called
forth in the kingdom of Servia, whose
rights were in no wise injured, out
breaks of unrestrained passion and
the bitterest hate My government at
that time employed the handsome
privileges of the stronger, and with
extreme consideration and leniency
only requested Servia to reduce her
army to a peace footing and to prom
ise that, for the future, she would
tread the path of peace and friendship.
Guided by the same spirit Of modera-
ton, my government, when Servia,
two years ago was embroiled In a
struggle with the Turkish empire, re-
stricted its action to the defence of
the most serious and vital interests Of
the monarchy. 1t was to this attitude
that Servia primarily owed the attain
ment of the objects of that war.
Hatred Biazed Higher.
The hope that the Servian king
dom would appreciate the patience
and love of peace of my government
and would keep its word, has not been
fulfilled. The fame of its hatred for
myself and my house has always
blazed higher; the design to tear from
us by force i~nseparable portions of
Austria-Hungary has been made man.
fest with less and less disguise. A
criminal propaganda has extended
over the frontier with the object of
destroying the foundations of order in
,he southeastern part of the monarchy;
81 making the people. to whom I, in my
paternal affection, extended my full
confidence, waver in its loyalty to the
ruling house and to the fatherland; of
leading astray its growing youth and
melting it to mischisvous deeds of
madness and high treason. A series
Of murderous attacks, IN organized,
carefully prepared, and well carried
out conspiracy, whose fruitful success
wounded me and my loyal peoples to