The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-11-15
HOW HUNS FORCED
WORLD into WAR
GERMANY FOUND EXCUSE IN THE
ASSASSINATION or GRAND
DUKE FERDINAND.
Students Of Situation Believe This to
Have Been Part Of Plot to Embroil
Europe with the Aim Of World
Dominion.

The prologue in the greatest war in
history began with the assassination Of
the Austrian Grand Duke Ferdinand
while he was visiting Sarajeyo, Bos-
mia, June IS, 1914 The assassin,
Prinzip, believed to be tool of pam
Serbian fanatics, fled to Serbia, to
which country Austria sent a drastic
ultimatum on July %.
This accused Serbia Of permitting
and furthering intrigue against Aus
tria, demanded the dissOlylng 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
uASdlISLdGLuFF. CEEDlhn vessels
We're seized almost Immediately and
on July 30 1914. Belgrade was bonn
barded. Thus began the world war
with 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
AIittel 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 BeIgium's neutrality be re-
spected. German troops attacked Liege
and President Wilson issued 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 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 was crowded with
events of international import. France
and England declared war on Austria
on August Il. and three days later
Japan sent an ultimatum to Germany
which soon 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 bash
eally 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
SCI, 100000 fertilization bill by congress
BY February u the feeling over
"unrestrained submarine warfare
had become so strained that this coun-
try refused to discuss the matter with
Germany. February IA diplomatic. re-
lations We're broken, and February 20
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 han
penings, all of the greatest Importance,
passed the days and months of 1917.
the first vital event after war declara-
ton being the conScriptfon bill of April
Is for the raising of an army of half
a million. Then came the espionage
bill to deal with the menace of internal
ro-German propaganda and intrigue.
A general war appropriation of S3.s42.-
100000 and the first $2.OO0,00O, 600 war
loan We're passed. Herbert c. Hoover
was appointed to handle the food situa-
ton.