The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-10-29


Alter they got there, the managers
wera three against one, and before it
had adjourned, Russia had issued an
order to mobilize.
Germany could not afford to wait
until the Russians had swept down to
her borders. She knew that the Ger
mans were better organized and could
be N fighting shape in shorter time
than Russia. This was her only adj
vantage against the overwhelming
numbers of Russia. And she knew that
to ave herself, she must be at the
German border before the Russian
troops reached there. The German
Emperor acted as only he could when
he ordered his troops to mobilize.
But as further evidence that Ger
many never wanted war, the Emperor
sen; a message to Russia, saying:
Step your mobilization and we will
MT mobilize at ALL That message has
not been answered to this day, and be-
fore the time limit had expired the
Russian millions had reached our land
and Rad begun to destroy our villages.
In the meantime, France had mobil-
liked and had began marching upon
US. The German Kaiser then appealed
to Great Britain to remain neutral, for
which Germany agreed to respect the
neutrality of Belgium and we prom
iseC not to modest great territory of
F 'alce. To this message, Sir Edward
Gre, replied: England must have a
free hand
"iermany was in the victim of a
con piracy that surpassed the destruc-
tior of the Maine. We were in the
sane position that the United States
wou Id be if Canada were nation of
200 100000 people, with South Ameri-
ca :. world power, and Japan the mis-
trass of the Pacific.
'7ken let all of these conspire to de-
strCy the United States with Mexico
as / haven for men who assassinate
YOU presidents and handicap should
you attempt to strike Japan. That was
the predicament that confronted Ger
MAJ V.
he German Emperor knew that
his .rOops were virtually cut off from
a q lick passage to France. The only
way to reach France quickly was
thrC ugh Belgium. Germany said to
Bel ;ium: IF you will give US a free
pas age through Belgium Germany
will insure your safety and will pay
an indemnity for every injury that will
cone to you. Belgium sent back word
tina Germany could not pass. Ger
mal was confronted with the propo-
siticn of being invaded by France and
England through Belgium, which
would have ended the war on land so
fer as Germany was concerned. It
uld have given France and England
a ,crtain passage to the German naval
b; s and its destruction would have
el rrinated Germany from warfare at
sc I.
at then became a question of self
p, eservation or suicide. 1t was mat
ter of right before might, and Ger
mary announced that she would force
a pG ssage. After the capture of Liege,
viii h occurred on August Z, instead of
Aug ust 25, as the reports in the Amer
lean newspapers stated, the German
Kaiser again asked free passage
through Belgium, in return for which
Germany agreed to protect Belgium
ard pay an indemnity for all losses
tia: Belgium might sustain.
ENGLAND sent note to Belgium,
dec airing that the neutrality Of Bel
giu had been violated, and that it
was Belgium's solemn duty to seek re-
venge with her full strength and Eng
lall gave her assurance that she
world willingly assist Belgium in her
campaign.
Belgium sent word back to the
German Emperor that Belgium would