Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-05-15

Milwaukee's great German daily,
which, with it's weekly editions, circu-
lates ali through the central west on
Monday reversed it's opinion as to the
responsibility for the world war now
raging in Europe.
In remarkable editorial entitled
An Open Confession" the Germania-
Herold, prompted by the revelations
recently made public through the pub
LEGATION Of the diary of Prince Lich
nOwsky imperial German Ambassador
to the court of st. James in the days
Immediately preceding the opening Of
hOstilities, announces that it had been
misled by the German governments
official statements into believing that
England's commercial jealousy forced
Germany into the war.
In announcing it's change in opin-
ion, the Germania Herold exOnerates
Great Britain from responsibility for
the war on the statements made by
Prince Lichnowsky and cOrroborated
by the admissions of Won JagOw and
other German statesmen, and makes
the assertion that the crime of start
ing the war must rest upon the landed
and industrial junkers Of Germany.
The editorial as it appeared in the
Germania-Heroldf follows:
1T is our duty to make it. We, too,
were among those who laid the blame
for the world war at the doors of Eng
lish statesmen. We, too, have time
and again repeated the assertion to
our readers that these English states
men, jealous Of Germany's success in
the world markets, attempted to EN-
circle it. We, too, have repeatedly
stated that Germany is entitled to a
place in the sun We did so in good
faith. For we then believed what the
German government proclaimed and
we believed at the beginning of the
war and years thereafter what most of
the other German papers repeated.
Saw Commercial Aim.
eve were then fully convinced that
the program of English statesmen con-
sisted of nothing less than to stop Ger
manys commercial and colonial eX
pansion. With us One-haf of the
world of the western hemisphere was
convinced through the press of Ger
many We believed in the press of the
old fatherland, which preached hatred
against England everywhere, follow
ing its governmental press, where the
German voice was sounded. AS a par
agOn of diplomatic baseness, Sir Ed
ward Grey, the dictator Of foreign af-
fairs for Great Britain, appeared to
us. Now, we and with us the rest Of
the world, which then credulously lis
tened, are convinced of the opposite.
We know now that the British states
men and with them the statesmen of
the allies did not only have no warlike
measures against Germany in mind
but to the last minute endeavored to
their utmost to avoid the war. The
blame for the bloodshed lies with the
German government.
Proof Now Shown
"POlitiken, the organ of the Swedish
socialists of the extreme left on
March Is published the historical doc
ument by which this guilt is estab-
lished. 1t was a so-called 'memoran-
dunn by Prince Carl Max Won Lich-
nOwsky, who before and at the time of
the commencement of the war was the
ambassador for the German empire in
London. The memorandum was writ
ten eighteen months before it was
made public. A publication at this
time was not intended by the prince
but upon his instance a number of
copies thereof we're made. One Of
these copies came into the hands of
a member of the sOcialistic minority
party of the German reichstag The
memorandum bears the heading: My
London Mission. 1912 to 1914 and is
dated at Kuchelna Lichnowsky's
summer residence) in August, 1916.
The genuineness of the memorandum
is doubted by no one. Prince Lich-
nOwsky himself has by his silence adj
mitted it, the German government
likewise by it's action in keeping the
prince a prisoner in his castle in ST.
lesia since the date of the publication
of the memorandum, and as appears
from late cable dispatches, has now
brought the charge Of high treason
against the prince.
SIS DOUbly Necessary"
"The proof of the facts is necessary,
it is doubly necessary to citizens of
German descent III America. This
knowledge Of these facts will ease the
struggle within them which some ov-
ercame under difficulties and which
others may still be labOring under and
who therefore may still be distressed.
We do not desire that citizens of Ger
man descent shall rely blindly upon