The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-07-02
Germany's Confession
Continued From Monday }

He admits, however, that England
would no more have drawn the sword
solely on account of our Navy than
on account of our commerce, which
is supposed to have aroused her envy
and in the end brought the war TO a
head. The talk of English CONNER
cial jealousy, of which one hears SO
much among us, is based upon a
wrong judgment of conditions. Ger
many's rise as a commercial power
after the war of the seventies and IN
the following decades was certainly
a menace to British commerce, whose
industries and export houses enjoyed
sort of monopoly. But the increas-
ing trade with Germany, which rank
ed as England's best customer, made
il desirable for England to remain on
and business friend, and gradually
supplanted all other considerations.
The Briton is matter of fact; he rec
onciles himself TO facts and does not
tilt against wiidmills. It was pre-
cisely in commercial circles that l
met with the most friendly reception
and observed an effort to proote eco
nomic interests common to both
countries. l became convinced soon
after my arrival tin England) that
we did not in the least have to fear
an English attack or English support
of a foreign attack, but that England
under all circumstances would pro-
tect France. | never ceased to point
out that as a commercial nation Eng
land would suffer enormously in any
war between the great European
powers. and would therefore seek by
every means to prevent it. but that
in the interest of the European bal
ance of power and in order to pre-
vent preponderance of German
power she would not tolerate the
weakening or destruction of France.
Lord Haldane had told me this soon
after my arrival. Every person in
authority expressed himself to the
same effect"
Late in June of the fatal summer
of 1914, Prince Lichnowsky was
summoned to kiel by the Kaiser, and
he was on board the imperial yacht
Meteor. when word was received of
the murder of the Austrian Arch
duke. Being unacquainted with the
Vienna viewpoint and what was go
ing on there" he says, Il attached
no very far-reaching significance to
the event; but, looking back, l could
feel sure that in the Austrian arls-
tocracy feeling of relief outweighed
all Others" AS for the Kaiser, His
Majesty regretted that his efforts to
win over the Archduke to his ideas
had been thus frustrated" by the
Archduke's assassination.
Lichnowsky went on to Berlin and
saw the Chancellor, Won Bethmann-
Hollweg. Il told him that l regar-
ded our foreign situation as very sat
isfactory as it was a long time in
deed since we had stood so we'll with
England. And in France there was
a pacifist cabinet. Herr Won Beth
mann-Hollweg did not seem to share
my optimism. He complained OF the
Russian armaments. l tried to tran
auillize him with the argument that
it was not to Russia's interest to at
tack us, and that such an attack
would never have English or French
support, as both countries wanted
peace.
Il went from him to DR.. thinner
mann (the under Secretary, who
was acting for Herr Won Jagow (the
Foreign Secretary and learned from
him that Russia was about to call up
nine hundred thousand new troops.
His words Enthusiastically denoted i'll
humor against Russia, who he said
stood everywhere in our way. In ad-
dition, there were questions of COM
mercial policy that had to be settled.
That General Won Moltke was urging
war was, of course, not told to me.
learned, however, that Herr Won
Tschirschky (the German Ambassa-
dor in Vienna) had been reproved
because he said that he had advised
Vienna to show moderation toward
Serbia >
Prince Lichnowsky went to his
summer home in Silesia, quite un-
aware of the impending crisis
when l returned from Silesia on
my way to London" he says, Il
stopped only few hours in Berlin,
where l heard that Austria intended
to proceed against Serbia so as to
| bring to an end an unbearable state
of affairs. Unfortunately | failed at
the moment to guage the signiti-
canoe of the news. l thought that
once more it would come 20 nothing;
that even if Russia acted threaten
ingly. the matter could soon be set
tied. now regret that l did not
stay in Berlin and declare there and
L
such a policy
And here he interpolates some
: most significant sentences. The
world has heard various reports OF
meeting IN Potsdam, as early as July
5, between the German and Austrian
authorities, at which meeting war
was decided on. Prince Lichnowsky
says: II learned afterwards that at
the decisive discussion at Potsdam on
July 5th the Austrian demand had
met with the unconditional approval
of all the personages in authority; it
was even added that no harm would
be done if war with Russia did come
out of it. 1t was SO stated at least
in the Austrian report received at
T ondon hy Count MenSdorff ithe Aus