The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-09-04

"A
bition got the better of his judgment
Mr.. Boetcker takes no account of
these things. In point of fact he dis
putes their existence. He is filled
with hatred of England and contempt
for France.
Others have perused the white
Papers" of both England and Ger
many. Perhaps he has not read them
at all. They show clearly that 1t was
not Germany, but England, which
made an honest effort for peace.
Although brilliant the Kaiser 5
not a great man. Napoleon Bonaparte
had the chance to attain the confr-
nation of his dynasty, with a greater
France than he had found when he
came to the head of affairs, but he
refused it and wrecked his all by his
Russian invasion, rushing to his doom
at Waterloo. Cromwell might have
given free government to England
century before the American RevOlu-
ton. 1t was left for Washington, re-
fusing temptation of any sort, to as
tablish and perpetutate republicinism.
If Wilhelm were truly great man
he would before consenting to-we
will not say precipitating-this awful
cataclysm have compelled Austria TO
come down a peg, or two, in the mat
ter of Servia, and have engaged with
England to reach a trade understand
ing and working commercial agree
ment short of resort to war. Mr..
Boetcker cannot restrain his eXulta-
ton at the advantage Germany has
had of late years over England. He
might have gone further and recalled
that not Germany but England has
been afraid. Only a few years ago
there was a kind of hysteria in Eng
land about the imaginary German in
vasion and through an absurd melo-
drama, called "The Englihsman's
Home" a panicky appeal was made
to British patriotism.
The English did not want war.
Neither did the French. No one can
examine closely the white Papers"
of Germany and England without ar
irving at the conclusion that 1t was
in the power of the Kaiser to avert
war. He might have done this by con-
cert with the powers. But, a great
man resolved upon peace, following
the example of Washington as an
original and creative statesman
would have taken the lead and com
PEELED peace.
The record shows exactly the re-
verse. 1t was Sir Edward Grey, not
Kaiser Wilhelm, who exhausted the
agencies to that end. These white
Papers" make it plain that England
did her utmost to prevent war, that
her appeals for pacific conference and
compromise were continued even
after declarations of war had gone
forth and troops were moving; they
show likewise that France and Italy
were of one mind and aim with Eng
land.
In his conversation with the French
Ambassador on July 24-the day after
the sending of the Austrian ultima
tum to Servia-Sir Edward Grey, see-
ing that the danger points were
Vienna and st. Petersburg, suggested
that if Austria and Russia failed to
come to an understanding, Germany,
France, Italy and England, the four
powers having no direct interest in
Servia, should act together for the
sake of peace simultaneously in
Vienna and st. Petersburg" This sug-
gestion Sir Edward made also to the
German Ambassador on the same day,
July "a On July 26 Sir Edward in
quired by telegraph whether Italy
France and Germany would join in
the conference at London for the pur-
pose of discovering, if possible, a
peaceful issue. Berlin's reply to this
was that, being in effect mediation,
| it was impracticable unless Russia
and Austria would consent. The Ger
man Ambassador in London informed
Sir Edward that Germany accepted
the proposal in priciple," but he hop
ed that English influence would be
employed in st. Petersburg to local
ize the war; to which Sir Edward
replied that it was in Vienna that
moderation must be urged. Italy
agreed entirely" with the suggestion
of England, and the reply of France
was a whole-hearted acceptance both
of the London conference and of CO.
operation with the British Ambassa-