The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1918-05-09
GERMANY STARTED IT!

The principal reason that there
may be found few Anti-Americans
in the Lyndon district is the general
ignorance of these people of war con-
ditions and causes. True, one finds
occasionally prejudiced intellectual
ass who reads but who is too stub
born to interpret intelligently-but
the majority of pro-kaiser folk are
uniformed, and have read little or
nothing of the important war doc
umeats.
The Lynden district would be one
hundred per cent American IL these
doubters would be fair enough to the
United States to give it hearing.
Let them read, for instance, the fol-
lowing authentic statement of Prince
Lichnowsky, Imperial German Am
bassador to Grcat Britain in 1914,
fixing as it does the causes of the
war:
"The deceived German people,
hoodwinked for nearly four years in
to the belief that England started the
war, are now being gradually per-
mittcd to learn that this is slight
error that can be corrected by mere
ly substituting the word Germany for
England" says the Literary Digest
of May 4. when that is done, per-
haps the next official German step
will be to ask England what her
peace terms are. No less an author
ity than Prince LichnOwsky, Impcr-
ial German Ambassador to Great
Britain in 1914, has given the whole
case away nd fastened the blood
outlines for the war irrevocably on
Germany, which did not merely per-
nit Austria to start it, but insisted
upon war when Austria shrark back.
Even the German press now admit
that Britain is cleared of blame for
the world-conflict, and the German
press supposedly take the hint in
such matters from the authorities
higher up. Ex-Forelgn Minister Won
Jagow, too, agrees with Lichnowsky
in acquitting Great Britain. The
authoritative Berlincr Tagblatt def
initely forecasts peace move on
this basis when it says:
/" AN understanding ought to be
easier now, since we have heard from
two opposing sources, ex-Foreign
Minister Won Jagow, and Prince Lich-
nowsky, that England was not res
ponsible for the war, as has been be-
lieved hitherto in wide circles in
Germany
Quoting from the Berlin Vorwarts,
let us see what the Prince has to say.
First of all he confirms the fact, SO
often denied by Germany, that the
famous Potsdam conference really
took place on July 5, 1914. At this
conference, Germany and Austria de-
cided upon war, which they would
inaugurate upon any convenient pre-
text and as a result Prince Lichnow-
sky received his instructions with re-
gard to his attitude in England. He
says:
" 4 learned that at the decisive
conversation at Potsdam on July 5,
the inquiry addressed to us by Vienna
found absolute assent among all the
persons in authority; indeed, they
added that there would be no harm if
a war with Russia were to result. So,
at any rate it is stated in the Aust
rian protocol which Count Mensdorff,
Austrian Ambassador, received in
London. Soon afterward, Herr Won
Jagow was in Vienna to discuss ev-
erything with Count Berchtold, Aus
trian Foreign Minister.
" 4 then received instructions that
was to induce the English press to
take up friendly attitude If Austria
gave the 'death-blow' to the great
Servian movement, and as far as pos
sible l was by my influence to pre-
vent public opinion from opposing
Austria.
AS appears lIOih OH Puc
lications, without the facts being con-
troverted by our White Book, which
owing to it's poverty and gaps, con-
stitutes a grave self-accusation:
-. We encouraged Count Berch-
told to attack Servia, altho no Germ
an interest was involved, and the
danger of a world-war must have
been known to us-whether we knew
the text Of the ultimatum is quest
ion of complete indifference;
&" 2. In the DAYS between July 23
and July 80, 1914, when Mr.. Sazzon-
off, the Russian Foreign Minister,
emphatically declared that Russia
could not tolerate an attack upon
Servia, we rejected the British pro-
posals of mediation, altho Servia, un-
der Russian and British pressure, had
accepted almost the whole ultimatum
and altho an agreement about the
two points in question could easily
have been reached, and Count Berch-
told, the Austrian Foreign Minister,
was even ready to satisfy himself
with the Servian reply.
ON July 30. when Count Berch-