The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-05
FERDINAND,S DEATH.
Strange Stories Of the Responsibility
for the Archduke's Assassination.

activities in the life of Count Tlssa, the
assassinated Hungarian statesman, APP
peas the following statement:
II has been charged that Count T1ssa
was one OF the four men responsible for
the war and the accusation has been
made that he instiEated the assassination
OF Archduke Ferdinand.
This was extremely interesting to me,
mainly because since the outbreak of the
war a number OF stories have come to
me from the other side which con-
frmed In my mind the belief that the
heirs to the Austrian throne were de-
libe-ately murdered as result Of plans
concocted by the Prussian and Austrian
military parties who were eager for
some pretext upon which to precipitate
the war. for which they had so long
been preparing.
1 believe yours Is tho FIRST direct
statement that l have read to the effect
that tho killing OF. the Austrian Arch
duke and his wife by the Serbian stu
dent was the expression OF the Prus-
sian war machinery.
German statesmen, as you know,
have reiterated times without number
that they were anxious to avoid the
war, and have repeatedly denied the
statements that they had planned for
and were all ready for the war when
events took such hurried course after
the Austrian tragedy.
You will recall how bitterly DR.. van
Dyke was attacked when, after re-
turning from his diplomatic duties in
Holland. he published In Sc1ibner's
Magazine an article stating that Ger
man troops were being hastily trans
ported to the western frontier as early
as May, 1914. German newspapers
ridiculed DR.. van Dykes assertions and
denied them emphatically. DR.. van Dyke
made these statements at q luncheon
some time before the Scribner publica-
ton of them, andthey were undoubtedly
facts.
Mr.. Otto II. Kahn. speaking in St
Paul over a year ago, said:
know OF my own knowledge that the
stage was set for the war by the Prus-
sian war party ten years ago at Agadir.
And the testimony OF Adolph Paven-
stedt, associate OF Bolo Pasha In this
country. before the District Attorney.
proved that Germany had decided on
war some time before hostilities began
In 1914.
But I am writing now to add testi-
mony that hitherto has not been Of
fered. Your statement regarding Count
Tisza to-day called to mind an inter-
view had with an American who was
in Europe at the outbreak OF tho war.
While travelling through the White
Mountains about fourteen months ago,
met william Edward Hull. q promi-
nent Illinois business man and politi-
clan. who was for eight years postmas-
ter at Peoria, first under President Nc
Kinley and later under President Roose-
welt, and 70: many years was Presi-
dent OF the National Association OF
Postmasters.
talked with Mr.. Hull over an hour
one day and SO interesting were his
statements that I made notes Of them
These notes / dug out Of a drawer to-
day after reading your resume Of the
career Of Count Tisza, and am now
writing them out for tho h-st time
though not In full detail.
During the spring and summer OF
1914" said Mr.. Hull. IT toured through
Germany, Austria, italy and Switzer-
land. Early in the year had taken
| my family and our car over. and late:
we were Joined by some friends
Among these was a Chicago business
man, a German born man who had Iona
lived in this country
Il noticed in many places in Ger.
many--this was early in the summer OF
| 1914-a vast activity in a military way
and also observed o good deal of all
activity. fleets of airships, Zeppelins
balloons. &C. being everywhere. On,
day my German born friend. who un.
derstood the language and customs OF
the people, said to me: Ed. there's
! going 20 be war; At that time there
/ had not been a murmur about war. anG
l was quite surprised.
"'War with whom and about what?
asked. Nothing had been further
| from my mind than war. I can see ant
hear 1t everywhere my friend said. =
don't know with whom or about what
everywhere We 90 means war. and wal
before long,
| I'VE were still in Germany eigh'
weeks before the ASA ssination Of tn,
| royal Austrian couple and the war tall
and activity had become vecy plain
| In the ,environs OF Berlin alone Their,
must have been n million soldiers in full
equipment drilling daily and at least un
officially modified. One day counted
| fifteen Zeppelins in the air at on<
time in a suburb of Berlin.
I'VE motored to Carlsbad and wer,
there when the news OF the murder o.
the Austrian Archduke and his wifi,
| came. The news caused no ste. Their,
was much comment and wonder. bu
people expressed Indifference to the fat,
OF Ferdinand and his morganatic wife
There was music and dancing in III,
cafes and hotels. and the common ex
preston was What will come nextr
There was. however. an undercur
rent OF feeling. for, we'll Informed peopl
knew what was going on: they realize,
that this was the match that would, O
at least might, set afiame the long pen
up ambitions of the Teutonic war lord
to start a war which they had planne,
to give them world dominion. The po
litical and educated classes could b.
seen everywhere whispering or arguinl
with worried expressions
1.-THE situation became tense and
took my family away. We motored int
Italy and later went to Switzerland
The moro We went about now, tn
more l saw that the world was fate,
for a great war. 1t was in the air.
could not understand German, but m,
friend could. and his distress was pain
full to see.