The Dolores star., 1918-11-22
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.

The prologue In the greatest war in
history began with the assassination of
the Austrian Grand Duke Ferdinand
while he was visiting Sarajevo, Bos'
mia. June 2S, 1914. The assassin,
Serbian fanatics, fled to Serbia, to
which country Austria sent II drastic
ultimatum on July %.
This accused Serbia of permitting
and furthering intrigue against Aus.
tria. demanded the dissolving of Ger
tain societies of Il patriotic nature, and
the prosecution of certain officers and
officials, as well as limitation of the
privileges of the Serbian press. TIC
this ultimatum Serbia replied promptly
agreeing TO all conditions, bat question
ing the right of Austrian officials con.
Quoting inquiries into Serbia which that
country suggested should he referred
to The Hague for arbitration.
In this very temperate ana reason
able reply Austria found cause for
sufficient umbragc 10 declare war,
stating that the Serbian answer was
unsatisfactory" Serbian vessels
We're seized almost Immediately and
on July %, 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 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 > 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 wal
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 -, 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.
ber 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 tie
sol 100000 fortiication 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 were broken, and February 2e
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.
ernment 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 bin of April
% for the raising of an army of half
a million. Then came the espionage
bill to deal with the menace of internal
pro-German propaganda and intrigue
general war appropriation of S3,342,
100000 and the first $1,000, 600 600 war
loan We're passed. Herbert c. Hoover
was appointed to handle the food situa.
ton.