Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-30
GERMANY EARLY
DECIDED ON WAR
IN CECIL
Sought ItaIy's Aid in Entering
Balkan Conflict in 1919
When Not Quite
Ready.
LUST FOR LAND SHOWN
Conversation of Grown Prince
and Efforts to Get Eng
land to Aid Against
France Recalled.
LUST FOR LAND SHOWN

France Recalled.
London. Aug. e7.-'T see they are
again talking in Germany about how
England started the war" remarked
Lord Robert Cecil, minister of block
ade, in his weekly ak yesterday with
the Associated Press. at is an old
song, but l think the time has come,
particularly in the United States, when
1t Is We'll to restate briefly the bald
facts. regarding the beginning OF this
great conflict.
Frankly, l do not think any one
anywhere can honestly believe that
England began the war. II any person
had arisen in a public assemblage In
this country two weeks before the ~
began and asserted hat In a fortnight
we would be plunged into the greatest
international conflict the world has yer
seen, the speaker would have been re-
garded by everybody as a dangerous
lunatic. Our peoples. thoughts we're
the farthest possible from war and u
statesmen were overwhelmingly occu-
pied with domestic affairs, particularly
the Irish question, to h almost COM
plete exclusion Of international politics.
1t is r that some Of u people had
been saying for q year or more before
that time that Germany intended to at
a. us, but their warnings fell on dea
ears, so much so that nc preparations
were made.
Wanted War Year Before.
Certainly we did not start the war.
questionable. For at least a year be-
fore the war began, Germany had def
nitely a up her E1;na 70 NSht.
AN Italian writer has told US how in
1913 Germany approached the Italian
government with a. view to taking
h would regard such a war as Of
fensive not defensive, and would
no lend her support. Germany with
drew her %propocal as h did not thin
She was then strong enough to go 1t
alone.
american Ambassador Gerard has
told us the German crow prince made
no secret of his desire for war and
that he even expressed the hope that it
would come before his father died, and
he added that if it didn't come before
his father died it would come as soon
as he, namely, the crown prince,
ascended the throne.
Pact Against France Sought.
"Balfour's secretary, Ian Malcolm,
has also quoted his conversation with
the German crown prince in hich 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
was because the new French military
service act would not become effective
and the Russian strategic railways
would not yet be ready.
"Moreover, they knew thoroughly the
conditions of corruption in Russian Of
fetal life n hoped our domestic pre-
occupation would keep US out, although
they were determined to go on with
their plans whether we stayed out or
not.
Wanted Britain In.
I'm every country there are men Of
man, different opinions. The extreme
var party in Germany actually well
coined and desired our entrance, as 1t
gave them an opportunity to kill two
birds with n stone. The wiser ones
no doubt hoped we would stay out so
they could take us singly later. followed
still later, as Ambassador Girard has
pointed out. by the United States.
This was the situation, in Germany
when the Sarajevo murders came and
gave h war party its eagerly awaited
opportunity. The Austrians delivered
their ultimatum to Serbia There Is no
reasonable doubt that the ultimatums
were submitted to Germany and ap-
proved and there is no doubt it was
then I'M there decided that whatever
was Serbia's answer they would pro.
coed against Belgrade. The ultimatum
was cOuched in such arrogant terms
that a favorable reply was difficult, but
little Serbia managed to pen readily
that which practically ~acquiesced. in ali
he principal. demands and agreed to
submit the remainder to The Hague
tribunal. Nevertheless the TeutOns
moved On Belgrade.
Peace Efforts Pushed Aside.
You are familiar with the efforts
which the English foreign secretary. Sir
Edward Grey, made to have the Teuton
demands submitted to arbitration or
conversation. The Teutons brushed all
efforts aside.
Meanwhile, Russia who could not
stand idly while Serbia was being
crushed, began mobilization. France
entered next Then came our demand
IN Germany for an understanding in
respect to the neutrality Of Belgium. an
undertaking which France had already
cheerfuliy given. such an undertaking
being refused. we came in. ],
THAT is u simple story of the wars
origin. The most crushing indictment
against the central powers Is that they
over and over again rejected all pro-
posals for conferences on the Of war
conferences. which must inevitably
have resulted in averting the conflict,
because 1t would have been shows how
fllmsy was the whole structure upon
Which.the central powers we're AtArtlna