Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-07-05
PRUSSIAN dream
OF WORLD POWER
Drove US TO WAR
Diplomat Reveals KaiserS Plan
to Draw United States
Into Struggle.
big LEVY IF VICTORIOUS
If Germany Lost She Counted en- Eas-
Ter Peace Through Pacifists Here
PLANNED Formation of Great
international Trust.

Washington.-In a statement just
issued with the consent of the state
department, Ulysses Grant-Smith, for
the past four years counselor to the
American embassy at Vienna, casts
light upon the steps by which America
was drawn into the war.
He boldly accuses the kaiser Of fore
ing American participation with this
dual purpose:
First, if Germany should triumph,
she would be able to levy an enormous
war tribute upon the United States;
Second, if she should lose the mighty
game into which she has cast her all,
she might hope through the United
States to obtain an easier peace, count
ing upon the influence Of millions Of
pacifsts.
Dream of a Commercial Trust.
Ultimate German victory, or even
the ending Of the war in draw, Mr..
lGrant-Smith believes, will mean the
formation by Prussia of a great inter-
national commercial trust, against
which the rest Of the world would be
all but pOwerless to battle. Austria
Hungary is to be added to the German
Eempire, and, Through interlocking di-
irectors," Bulgaria and Turkey.
This dream Of the mighty CONNER
icial trust, along with the desire for
THE annexation of Holland and Bel
gium and for the control of the North
sea coast as far south as Havre, sup
piled the real motive for Germany'S
plunging the world into war, Mr.. Grant
Smith believes. After pointing out
that his statement expresses only his
personal belief, that he does not speak
for the state department, he says:
'When the causes which precipitated
the present war are thoroughly ex-
residents of the United States, what
ever their status, will recognize that
the defeat of the German government
in this conflict is in the interests of
all.
"Some months ago those Of us who
were stationed in the central empires
reluctantly arrived at the conviction
that it was the deliberate intention of
the German government to force the
United States into the war at what
she might consider the psychological
moment.
''Every good commander in making
plan of campaign provides not only for
victory but makes provision likewise
for the eventually of defeat, as
matter of plain business expediency in
the way of insurance. Germany, am
convinced, determined to force our en-
try on the side of the entente, with
the intention, in case of victory, of
making the United States pay an in
IDENTITY, which would mean the sad
ding of this and future generations
of Americans with an untold burden
of taxation, or, in the case of her de-
feat, to get better terms of peace,
counting on the large German and pa
cifiSt element in this country to throw
their influence in that direction.
Planned Indemnity From U. S.
''You may have noticed in the papers
Just previous to the outbreak of the
revolution an interview with Russian
deputy who was at the time in Rome,
I believe, in which he said that the
Russians feared that should the United
States enter the war she might use
her influence at the peace conference
to obtain better terms for Germany.
So you see there are others to whom
this same idea has occurred. And in
a recent issue the Volkszeitung of Co.
1Ogne said:
eve are entitled to a humping war
indemnity and we do not care who pays
it. Those states which have sacrificed
immense sums will be unable to pay it.
Therefore, America, which has earned
thousands Of millions through munitions
and supplies, will have to unbutton it's
pockets. We need not force America it
self to pay, but we hold so many pledges
in hand that for the entente it is most
important to have America as banker
behind them.
"Recall the fact that each newspa-
per in Germany is subject to the strict
est censorship; that whatever senti-
ments are expressed in them can be as
sumed to be those of the government,
the result of instructions received by
the representatives of the various
newspapers directly from the govern
ment censor before whom they daily
appear.
"Recall this, I say, and consider the
statement that it is most important
to have America as a banker behind
them This is not vague theory. 1t
has been a matter Of common knowl-
edge among thinking persons in Ger
many and Austria-Hungary for months
past, and is in line with Prussian pol
icy followed in the wars of. 1866 and
1870 which whetted their appetite for
indemnities, monetary as well as ter
ritorial.
'"The opening scene Of the last act
was in complete harmony with the best
Bisnarckian tradition. After months