The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-08-25
CROWN PRINCE
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ian government with a view to taking
action in the Balkans but Italy said
she would regard such a war as Of
fensive and not defensive and would
not lend her support Germany with
drew her proposals as she did not
think she then was strong enough to
60 1t alone.
Prince Made No Secret
American Ambassador Gerard has
told US the German crown prince made
no secret Of his desire for war and
that he even expressed the hope that
1t would come before his father died !;
and he added that if 1t didn't come
before his father died 1t would come
as soon as he, namely, the crown
prince, assembled the throne.
"Balfour's secretary, Ian Malcolm,
has also quoted his conversation with
the crown prince in which the prince
suggested that England and Germany
should combine to destroy France.
There is no question but that Ger
many had made up her mind that
somewhere about the summer Of 1914
would be the best time for war, this
because the new French military SER
vice act would not become effective
and the Russian strategic railways
would not yet be ready.
Knew Of corruptions
Moreover, they knew thoroughly
the conditions Of corruption in Rus
sian Official life and hoped our domes-
tic preoccupation would keep us out,
although they were determined to go
on with their plans whether we stayed
out or not.
"1n every country there are men of
many different opinions. The extreme
war party in Germany actually wei
coined and desired aur entrance as it
gave them an opportunity to kill two
birds with one stone. The wiser ones
no doubt hoped we would stay out so
they could take us singly later, fol-
lowed still later, as Ambassador Ger
ard has pointed out, by the United
States.
Submitted to Germany
This was the situation in Germany
when the Sarajevo murders came and
save the war party its eagerly await
ed opportunity. The Austrians deliv-
cred their ultimatum to Serbia. There
is no reasonable doubt that the ulti-
matums were submitted to Germany
and approved and there is no doubt it
was then and there decided that what
ever WIS Serbi2's answer they would
proceed against Belgrade.
The ultimatur was couched in
such arrogant terms that q favorable
n r,,1t hut
to pen readily that which
acquiesced in all the prin
cipal demands and agreed to submit
the remainder to The Hague tribunal. |
the Teutons moved on
you are familiar with the efforts |
which the English foreign secretary |
Sir Edward Grey, made to have the |
TeHton demands submitted to arbi- |
tration or conversation. The Teutons |
brushed all efforts aside.
Russia Started
"Meanwh ile. Russia. who coal. not
stand idly while Serbia, was being
rushed, began mobiliz2 ton. France
next Then came our demand
On Germany for an understanding in
respect to the neutrality of Belgium,
an understanding which France had
,lready cheerfully given. Such an I'M
1erstanding being refused, We came
n That is the simple story of the
vars origin. The most crushing in
against the central powers is
hat they, over and over again, re-
ected all proposals for conferences
IN the eve Of war conferences which
must inevitably have rsulted in avert
ng the conflict, because 1t would have
,een shown how fimsy was the whole
structure upon which the central pow
RS We're starting the world war"