The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-11-15
|HOW HUNS FORCED
WORLD INTO war
GERMANY FOUND EXCUSE IN TIE
ASSASSINATION OF GRAND
DUKE FERDINAND.
otudents Of Situation Believe This -
Have 0een Part ~ Plot to Embroii
Europe with the Ajp Of World
Dominion.

history began with the assassination OF
the Austrian Grand Duke Ferdinand
while he was visiting Sarajevo, BOs-
mia, June Is, 1914. The assassin,
Prinxip believed to be tool of pam
Serbian fanatics. fled to Serbia, to
which country Austria sent drastic
ultimatum on July %.
This accused Serbia OF permitting
and furthering intrigue against Aus
tria, demanded the dissolving OF GER
tain societies of a patriotic nature, and
! the prosecution of certain officers and
| officials Is well as a limitation Of the
privileges Of the Serbian press. To
this ultimatum Serbia replied promptly.
agreeing to all conditions, but question
Ing the right Of Austrian officials con-
Quoting inquiries into Serbia which that
country suggested should be referred
to The Hague for arbitration.
In this very temperate and reason
able reply Austria found cause for
sufficient umbrage to declare war,
stating that the Serbian answer was
unsatisfactory" Serbian vessels
were seized almost Immediately and
on July %. 1914. Belgrade was bonn
barded. Thus began the world war
with a seemingly trivial incident which
students of the situation now believe
to have been part of a carefully pre-
pared plot to embroil Europe with the
aim OF world dominion on the part Of
Mittel Europa.
July 81, Germany sent an ultimatum
to Russia, demanding rehabilitation,
which the cars government haughtily
ignored. The following day Germany
declared war on Russia and invaded
Luxembourg.
August 2 German troops entered
Belgium, despite an acknowledged
treaty to safeguard the neutrality Of
the latter nation, which the German
premier later spurned as "a scrap Of
paper" This invasion brought an ulti-
matum to Germany, August 4, demand
Ing that Belgium's neutrality be re-
spected German troops attacked Liege
and President Wilson issued a procla-
nation Of neutrality.
The following day, its demands hav-
Ing been ignored, England declared war
on Germany. August the Germans
entered Liege, and the French invaded
southern Alsaces Italy declared neu-
trality.s
These were the opening movements
of the great conflict which, little by
little, involved practically the entire
world. Each day was crowded with
events of international import. France
and England declared war on Austria
Japan sent an ultimatum to Germany
which soon drew the former nation into
the martial whirlpoOl-a conflict
marked chiefly by the taking of Using
tao, Germany's Asiatic colony, Novem-
Der 6, after a long siege.
BY far the most important and basil
cally important year Of the war was
1917. A forecast of Americas entry
into the conflict came with the presi-
dents peace without victory" speech
January % and the passage of the
SOL 100000 fertilization bill by congress.
BY February ~ the feeling oyer
"unrestrained submarine warfare
had become 50 strained that this coun-
try refused to discuss the matter with
Germany. February IA diplomatic re-
lations were broken, and February 26
permission was asked by the president
to arm American merchantmen which
was later granted In the meantime
however, the world was startled by the
Russian revolt and the overthrow of
the Romanoff government. America
formally recognized the republican gov
eminent of Russia.
In swift panorama of martial hap
penings all of the greatest importance
/ passed the days and months of 1917
the first vital event after war declara-
ton being the conscription bill of April
% for the raising of an army Of hall
Il million. Then came the espionage
bill to deal with the menace of internal
pro-German propaganda and intrigue
A general war appropriation of S3.:;f..
100000 and the first 50 100000 900 wal
loan were passed. Herbert c. Hoover
was appointed to handle the food situa
ton.