The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-03-28
L|CHNOWSKY
PUTS BLAME
FOR WAR ON
HIS COUNTRY
Former German Ambassador
to Great Britain Reveals
How General Staff Urged
Hostilities.
PRINTS MEMORANDUM

LONDON, March 2s.-The personal
memorandum of Prince Lichnowsky
revealing the inner workings OF Ger.
man diplomacy, which has caused
much feeling in Germany against the
former ambassador to Great Britain,
leaked out last summer through the
German general staff after the fall OF
Chancellor Won Bethmann.Hollweg.
This statement is made by the Soc
ialist Vorwaerts of Berlin, and Is puo-
lished by the Times. which also re-
prints from the Vorwaerts, the most
important points Of the memorandum.
In an editorial on the disclosures OF
the prince the Times says:
by a coincidence as strange as 1t
Is opportune, passages of memoran-
dunn in which the former German am
bassador fixes the guilt for the war
upon his own government, reach us as
the fiercest and bloOdiest conflict OF
the long struggle is at its height.
Reveals Motives.
At the moment when mankind Is
filled with horror and anguish at the
carnage on the great battle field. all
eyes will turn to his account of the
policy which brought this dread vista
ton upon the world. He has not a
shadow of doubt about the respC ash
bility for the war Without hesitation
he fastens 1t upon Germany. The Ger
man militarists were inexorable. They
would not suffer Count Berchtold to
give way. When he flinched from
plunging Europe into war, they forced
his hand.
"They delivered an ultimatum to
Russia and the next day declared war
upon her although the Russian EN-.
peror had pledged his word that while
the negotiations continued not man
should march.
Corroborates Judgment.
1--WE deliberately destroyed theEpos-
sibility, of peaceful settlement is the
former ambassadors considered judy
ment. He cannot feel surprised that
the whole civilized world outside Ger
many attributes to us soleAguilt for the
world war The whole story which
he records corroborates this Judgment
and connt be reconciled with any
other.
THE first hint of coming, trouble
which reached him sser,to have
been Bethmann-Hollwf fefusal to
share his optimism when he visited
Wilhelmstrasse early in July, 1914.
The chancellor and the under-secre-
tsry for foreign affairs complained of
Russian armament and the latter de.
clared that Russia was everywhere in
Germanys way. At the same time he
learned that Won Tohirsky, the Ger.
man ambassador at Vienna had been
rebuked because he had counseled
moderation towards Serbia. But
these were mere straws showing the
direction of the current
Anxious for War.
1T was not until later that he heard
OF the decisive conversation at Pots
dam on July 5, and of 1.-THE absolent
assent which all persOnages in au-
thority' there gave to Austrias in.
quiry, that he knew that General Won
Moltke, then chief of the general staff,
was pressing for war or that he was
informed Of the statements in the pro-
tocol Of the Potsdam meeting sent to
Count Mensdorff that these person
ages had agreed there would be no
harm If a war with Russia were to
result
Herr Won Jagow met his warnings
about the probable effects of the Pots
dam policy upon British opinion by IS
suring him Russia was not ready and
Germany must simply risk it This
belief as to Russian unreadiness
caused us to stimulate Count Berch.
told to the greatest possible energy
England Pacific.
Meanwhile the attitude OF England
was absolutely pacific and the English
press protested against the political
exploitation of the Sarajevo murders.
but it sternly reproved the crime
1t at once understood that the un-
precedented ultimatum which under
stimulation from Berlin. Count Berch-
told had launched at Serbia meant
war. Still Sir Edward Grey. as he
then was. did not despair, and the for
mer German ambassador bears the
strongest testimony to the sincerity
of his unwearying efforts to avert this
war which the Germans calumniously
assert he provoked.
The prince declares 1T would have
been easy to find an acceptable solu-
ton for the two relatively small
points left in dispute between Vienna
and Belgrade and that given good will
everything could have been settled In
one or two sittings' of the body pro.
posed by Sir Edward
Agitate for War
"A hint from Berlin would have |
been enough to make Count Berchtold |
less satisfied with a diplomatic sue
cess and to cause his acquiescence in |
the Serbian reply. What happened?
(Continued on Page Thre.l