Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-03
ions, DR.. Hammann said:

strange Illustration during the war
only a few weeks have elapsed since q
leading English minister termed the
misfortune of the Rumanians plainly a
gross blunder.' BY this 'blunder' a
whole nation has been pushed into
misery. Rumania has been dragged in
to great war by all sorts of dark
Vaccinations
And then look at Greece. There the
Entente has occupied the ports, rail-
roads, cables and postal stations and
whole districts of the country, all
against the law of nations. There the
Entente has simply taken what it
needed and by. blockade and hunger
has forced the Greeks to surrender
those things which the Entente was
unable to take"
Conference Proposed
What about the reproach that Ger
many in the decisive week of july
Q91G declined the British proposal of
conference and thus made war lin :
avoidable?"
10 this DR.. Hammann replied THE
proposal for a conference was made
July 26 by Grey. The meaning of it was
that the delegates of France, Italy and
Germany should meet with Grey in
conference and try to find a way out
OF difficult situation.
The first condition making the holding
of such conference possible should have
been that the Russian cabinet declare its
consent, but it answered July q in an
evasive manner and referred to converse
{In
sador in st. Petersburg Petrograd) as
having begun under the most favorable
auspices.
Grey's Telegram
The following day. eysagreed to the
German proposal that a direct under
standing between Vienna and St. Peters
burg would result in a quicker and bet
ter action. Thus Grey on July q tele-
graphed to Goschen British ambassador
at Berlin):
But as long as there is a prospect
OF a direct exchange of views between
Austria and Russia, should suspend ev-
cry other suggestion. as entirely agreed
that 1t Is the most preferable method
of ALL
Il can only advise everyone to read the
English Blue Book if he wants to. be in
formed about these matters. But to my
mind it seems to be altogether wrong to
look for the real causes Of the war in
the events during the last week; Of July
1914. Then. perhaps, tie last impulse for
war was given, but the real cause must
be found considerable time before.
1.-THE Entente note points that at the
last peace conference treated the propo-
sition to disarm with distrust. But Ger
many knew then perfectly that the propo-
sition was mainly directed against her
existence.
Russia after the economic regula-
ton that followed the war with Japan
had worked with increasing zeal for
the preparedness Of her army. When
Germany employed the surplus of her
youth for military service. France, in
order to surpass us, introduced a
three-years' service, thus sapping her
capital Of vital forces. Six months be-
fore the beginning of the war, the
French military specialists published
openly discussions regarding the rec
omm endations for billions and billions
Of French money streaming into Rus
STA and the conditions under which
France had loaned this money France
had asked in return for her loans, the
construction of strategical railroads in
Russia.
In this literature it was explained
that not Warsaw but Grodno and Kov-
no would be the base for Russian de-
ployment, because from there the
Prussian army corps in Koenigsburg
and Alenstein could most quickly be
rolled up and thus the roads to Berlin
could be opened
In August. 1914. the attempt was
made at least to make things go his
way And today. they want to persuade
the nations of the world that Germany
prepare herself not for protection
against and aggressive coalition but in
order to anihlate France
The same people who promised to
Russia the conquest and possession of
Constantinople. dare TO assert that Ger
many has aggressive intentions. OF
course the conquest of Constantinople
which was announced by Trepoff (The
Russian Premier) in the Duma is passed
in silence in the Entente note. just as
they in discussion of Diplomatic
events in July 1914 elegantly slid over
the decisive event-that brusque inter-
vention in all attempts at mediation by
the Russian mobilization which was
even repeatedly dissuaded by the Eng
lish ambassador at st. Petersburg"
"Sincerity" of Entente
do you think that under these cir
cumstances the moral Indignation in
the tone of the Entente note is sin
cere?" was asked.
Most certainly I do" replied Direc-
tor Hammann with vivacity. Il am of
the same opinion as Bernard Shaw,
and consider the sincerity Of this moral
indignation as a new instance Of the
providential harmony between the in
terests and moral and political ideas
Jof England. We know this moral in
dignation from history. When the
Prussians and Austrians marched into
Schleswig- Holstein in order to assist
their countrymen and fight on the side
of the Schleswig- Holstein Irredentste
for the independence of the German
race, then Lord Palmerston and Lord
SALISBURY in the lower and upper
houses manifested the same moral in
dignation.
"Sincere was Sir Edward Grey's in
) *