, 1918-11-14
HOW HUNS FORCED
WORLD into WAR
GERMANY FOUND EXCUSE IN THE
ASSASSINATION OF GRAND
DUKE FERDINAND.
Students Of Situation Believe This to
Have Been Part Of Plot to Embroil
Europe with the Aim of World
Dominion.

history began with the assassination of
the Austrian Grand Duke Ferdinand
while he was visiting Sarajevo, Bos.
mia, June %, 1914. The assassin,
Prinzip, believed to be a tool of pan.
which country Austria sent n 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, as 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 20, 1914, Belgrade was BON.
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 wan on Russia and invaded
L~uxemburg.
August 2 German troops entered
Belgium, despite an acknowledges
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
n President Wilson issued a procla.
nation of neutrality.
The following day, it's demands hav.
ing been ignored, England declared wal
on Germany. August z the Germans
entered Liege, and the French invaded
southern Alsace. Italy declared neu.
trality.
These were the opening movements
of the great conflict which, little by
little, involved practically the entire
world. Each day "a crowded with
events of international import. France
and England declared war on Austria
on August ~, and three days later
Japan sent an ultimatum to Germany
which o. drew the former nation into
the martial Whirlpool 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 basi.
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 % AMI the passage of the
$51 100000 fertilization bill by congress
By February IL the feeling over
"unrestrained submarine warfare
had become so strained that this oun
try refused to discuss the matter with
Germany. February ID diplomatic re-
lations were broken, and February &c
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 a swift panorama of martial hap
penings, all of the greatest Importance,
passed the days and months of 1917,
the first vital event after wal declara-
ton being the CONSUMPTION bill of April
% for the raising of an army of half
a million. Then came the espionage
bill to deal with the of internal
pro-German propaganda and intrigue.
A general war appropriation of S3,S42.-
10000 and the first s., 1000. 000,000 wal
loan were passed. Herbert G. Hoover
was appointed to handle the food situa-
ton.