The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-26
TRIED EARLY BLOW.

CONTINUED from Page Ons.l
tinuously for over twenty-nine years.
thtrty-three in fact, worked in the
Santa Fe blacksmith shop and read
the State Journal. For those arduous
daily labors. it seems to me Mr.. Null
lin is now almost entitled to a pension
from both the railroad and the news
paper"
In opening his talk, Mr.. MacLennan
expressed his high regard for all ma
| tiOns involved in the war and praised
President Wilson for his request that
every American citizen remain abso-
lutely neutral and refrain from taking
sides with any of the. countries in
volved.
In fact at the outset he treasured
his hearers by saying that not consid-
ering the war developments in the
case: II like the French. admire the
spect the Russian. compliment the
Austrian, commend the Servian and
love the Belgians."
He also said he had refrained from
printing the day before what President
Wilson undoubtedly said, in his mind.
of the hitherto unspeakable Turk.
The direct cause of the war;" Mr..
MacLennan said, was the assassina-
ton of Arch Duke Ferdinand of Aus
tria by a Servian student on June 28,
mands of reparation that Servia could
not meet without surrendering her ma
tional integrity"
Mr.. MacLennan then told how many
people have thought that this was
merely pretext seized upon by the
nations to start war and expressed his
/; opinion that other factors undoubted-
! ly entered into the terrific struggle
that is causing great slaughter hard
to realize, even by those engaged in it.
The speaker dwelt at some length
| upon an historic explanation of the
states Of the Balkans which have
played such an important part In the
affairs Of Europe for a number of
years.
1.-The Balkans Mr.. MacLennan
said, ARE generally regarded by peo-
pie in this country as being small and
insignificant; but If they were all
united, they would form a powerful
| nation and would destroy the balance
of power Of the other European coun-
tries
One feature of the talk that shed
new light on the subject to many of
| the audience was the lose blood re-
lationship Of the rulers of three of the
countries involved. Emperor William
of Germany, Gar Nicholas of Russia
and King George of England are all
cousins, and all three are grandsons
of the late Queen Victoria of England.
| In discussing the actaul beginning
of hostilities by the various nations,
the speaker told of how Austria s
declaration OF war against Serv1a leo
Russia to mobilize; how Russia's re-
I fusal to demobilize brought the Ger
man nation to arms; how this was
followed by Frances taking the field
and how the violation of Belgium g
neutrality finally led England into the
conflict.
Each nation" he said. seemed to
think that it would gain an advan-
tage by getting into the struggle first.
| and each seemed to think 1t was right
| and that the Lord was back of it. "
The speaker stated that he would
try to give the facts as he had gathered
them and to this end had read the
diplomatic correspondence between the
several great powers leading up to hos
tilities. These documents are known
as the white Papers of England and
Germany; are vOluminOus, covering
sixty columns in a newspaper.
'Sir Edward Grey. foreign secretary
for Great Britain, took a prominent part
in the diplomacy. a part of the ex-
change of letters being direct between
the kaiser and the czar. Grey was
especially active in trying to avert
through mediation or conference Of the
powers. a general conflict. From these
papers it is learned that Great Britain
proposed to the emperor of Germany
that the two powers unite with France
and Italy in a conference to bring about
the settlement, without war. of the diff
Iferences between Austro-Hungary and