New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-10

war occurred 20 Grey, beiu Ing N"e
eellor. and he characterized IL as :
version which was as incorrect as II
! was new. j,
The document on which Grey based
his argument. the Chancellor said, was
a special edition Of the Berlin "Lokal
| Anzeiger" on July 80. containing the
, untrue report that the German I'm
peror had ordered mobilization. The
Chancellor added that every one IN the
/ Reichsrag committee knew that the
sale Of this special edition was prohio-
tied Immediately by the police, and
that the Secretary for Foreign Az
fairs Immediately informed the kus-
sian Ambassador by telephone that This
news was untrue. The incorrect report
had been set right, he added, before
/ Russia ordered general Mobilization
Mobilization Was Delayed
Germany, the Chancellor said, after
! the news Of the general Russian mo-
| bilization, did not mobilize at once, but
at first only proclaimed a state OF
I threatened danger Of war. which was
I by no means mobilization. Ihis was
I communicated TO the Russian govern
ment. and it was added, that mobiliza-
/ ton must follow il Russia did not stop
all war measures against Germany and
Austria Hungary within twelve hours
and II IL did not inform Germany in
clear fashion that this had been done.
/ Thus Russia once more was given
delay, even when, as result OF Rus
sia's guilt, war seemed unavoidable.
/ Likewise Russia's allies and friends
were given the possibility Of still using
( their influence with Russia in the same
direction as Germany with her ally,
Austria-Hungary.
Russia gave no answer. England
remained silent 20 Russia. France,
I through her Prime Minister, on the
evening of July 81 merely declared 70
the German Ambassador that Russia
had rot modified, and ordered its own
. mobilization some hours before Ger
many did. The Chancellor continues
Planned War in 1912
"As to the so-called defensive char
acter Of the Russian general mobiliza-
/ ton, may state here, in the most ex-
plicit fashion. that at the outbreak Of
/ the war there was still valid general
order of the Russian government,
/ issued in 1912, in which was the fol-
lowing paragraph verbatim: From the
| highest place it is ordered that proc
/ lamation of mobilization is at the same
time proclamation of war against
1 Germany Against Germany, gentle
men, against Germany"
DR.. Won Bethmann-H ollweg con-
tinued: Russia never would have de
cided upon this fateful step if it had
not been encouraged to do so from the
Thames by actions and by failures 70
take action.
"On the night Of July 30 Russia was
faced by the following situation: Aus
tria-Hungary had yielded under Ger
man influence, which cleared the road
toward peace At the same time Lord
. Grey's disclosure 70 Paul Cambon
] French Ambassador at London) as
I sured Russia Of the armed assistance
of England and France, by which only
the possibility Of war was given 20
Russia. Russia decided upon mobiliza--
ton and war. Who has been guilty OF
this decision, full of fate?
Hague Offer Too Late
"The Hague Arbitration Tribunal
offered by the Russian Emperor, con
tihued the Chancellor, mo doubt
sounds very serious, but the offer was
made when Russian troops were al
ready sent TO move against US.
and the Belgian question: Before
single German soldier had set foot on
Belgian soil Lord Grey had already
/ told the French Ambassador, as re-
lated in his report: IF the German
navy should enter the Channel or pass
the North Sea with the intention OF at
lacking the French coast or French
navy and harass the French merchant
marine, then the British navy would
act in order 20 protect the French navy
in such fashion that from that mo
ment England and Germany would be
in a state of war
"Can the same man who proclaimed
that the sailing OF our navy would be
a casus beli still asseverate sincerely
that only the violation Of Belgian neu-
trality had forced England against her
will into way!
Pledged Belgian Integrity
The Chancellor then took up the
question Of Viscount Grey's statement
that Germany had asked England TO
condone violation Of Belgian ncu-
trality.
81 challenge Lord Grey" said the
Chancellor, "to examine the fact in his
own Blue Book and in his records"
In order 10 localize the war, tho
Chancellor explained, he had assured
the British Ambassador at Berlin on
July 20, 1914, that in case OF England's
neutrality Germany would guarantee
Frances territorial integrity. On Au-
gust Prince Lchnowsky German
Ambassador at London) asked Grey
whether England would promise TO re
main neutral in case Germany accepted
AN obligation TO respect Belgian neu-
trality. ,
He further offered that In cab Of
English neutrality the integrity not
only of France itself but also OF the
French colonies would be guaranteed
and that Germany was ready 70 re-
nounce an attack on France II England
guaranteed French neutrality.
Would Not Attack Coast
4 At the last moment the Chancellor
gave his promise that so long as Eng
land remained neutral the German
navy would not attack the French
north coast and, mutual treatment
presupposed, would do no hostile act
against French merchantmen.
To all this, according 70 the Chan
cellor. Grey answered that he mus;
decline definitely TO give any promise
of neutrality, and could only say that
England wanted to keep her hands
free.
~ England had given this declara-
ton OF neutrality" said the Chancei-
Tor. "then she would not have been the
object of the whole worlds contempt,
as Lord Grey thinks, but would have
prevented the outbreak Of war. | also
ask. Who wanted war-we, who were
ready to give to England all imaglnaol q
, securities. not only for her imm date
ir+eresta. but also for France and Bel