The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-08
MICHAELIS ACCUSES RUSSIA.
CLAIMS CZAR KNEW GERMANY
WANTED NO WAR.
Says Nicholas Gave Direction to Stop
Mobilization but 1t Was Unhccdctl
by Undcrlings.

W ShSs~AAAAe5Cs
Amsterdam, Sept. 5.-In an inter-
view the German chancellor Dr.
George Michaelis, has made a state
ment in regard to disclosures at the
trial in Petrograd for nigh treason of
General soukholmlinoff, former minis
ter Of war. Great prominence has been
given in the German press recently
to testimony said to have been taken
at the Soukhomlinoff trial, tending to
show Russia's responsibility for the
beginning Of the war. Accounts reach
ing this country have net contained
such testimony.
Chancellor Michaelis said:
1.-THE statements Of the former Rus
sian war minister and the former
chief of the general staff General
Januschkevitch) are Of the greatest
Importance. They are calculated COM
pletely to destroy the legend Of Ger
many's guilt in starting the war and
they will force European opinion, If
the reports are allowed to be publish
ed abroad. to revise its judgment on
Germany.
"The moment at which these dis
closures were made Is the more favor
able, as we have just had knowledge
Of the American reply to the pope's
note urging peace. In Secretary Ian
sings answer, the German government
Is described as an irresponsible gov
ernment, which secretly planned to
dominate the world, which chose it's
own time for the war and cruelty and
suddenly executed its plan: which did
not heed legal barriers or truthfulness,
which flooded great continent with
blood. not only of soldiers. but of in
nocent women and children, the help
less and the poor. When adopting
these accusations from the entente
factory of calumnies the American
government obviously had no knowl-
edge of the course of the proceed
ings against General Soukhomlinoff.
Otherwise its judgment would certain
iy have been quite different -e 81.
1T certainly now establishes" DR..
Michaelis stated, "that it was not Ger
many who desired the war but the
military party surrounding the czar,
who was under the influence of France
and England. Up to the last moment,
In the exchange Of kilograms with the
Emperor Of Russia and the King of
England. the German emperor made
the most earnest and fervent attempts
IT. the interest of peace.
1.-THE importance Of the new disclo-
sures is that the czar, who had to
decide as to war or peace, in fact
came to the conviction. with the Ger
man emperor's efforts, that Germany
did not desire war. The consequence
OF his conviction was his positive or
der to cancel the Russian mobilization
but couple of criminals who belied
the czar disregarded the order and
the war started by it's execution. A
consequence of the emperor's efforts
also was the czar's order to General
Januschkevitch to give the German
ambassador. Count Portaules, assur-
ance Of Russia's desire for peace.
THE execution of this order was
frustrated by Mr.. Sazonoff (then Rus
sian foreign minister), who obviously
feared the German ambassador could
perhaps take further effective steps for
prevention of the threatening weather.
Who was behind all these men? They
certainly did not of their own accord
plan to drive the great power of Rus
sia. then Europe and finally the whole
world into war Of unparalleled ter
ribleness.
Il need not remind you Of the re-
lations between General Soukhomli-
noff and the French group of chauvin-
ISIS, M Poincare and his associates.
1t is we'll known that the election of
M. :ncare to the presidency was a
sign of an aggressive Franco Russian
alliance. against Germany and that
General Soukhomlinoff was ordered to
Paris to play the presidency of the
French republic into M. Poincare's
hands. At that time in Paris General
soukhomlinoff made statement
about the Russian army and the alter
ations Of Russian plans for mobiliza-
ton. long time previously aggress-
I've plans against Germany were pre-
pared by an influential political group
IN France. England and Russia.
Regarding English influence at
Petrograd during the critical davs