New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Sole Guilt for the World War

The world has waited nearly four
years for complete and clinching Ger
man evidence as to exactly how and by
whom the European conflagration was
precipitated. There was no doubt outside
Of Germany. But there was no unequivo-
cal admission.
1t has come now in a most unexpected
and dramatic manner. The beginning
was the publication, piecemeal, of the
now famous memorandum, "My London
Mission, 1912-1914," of Prince Lich-
nowsky, German Ambassador to Great
Britain when the war broke cut. Just
how this singular document leaked out is
not yet known. It's publication was be-
gun in the Socialist "Politiken" of Stock
holm, and then stopped. Then another
instalment in the "Vorwaerts" of Berlin,
and after that another in the Munich
Neueste Nachrichten," and, finally, the
last part in the Stockholm "Politiken"
again.
We have already pointed out the pos
sibility that these revelations" would be
explained away as the words of an en-
bittered old man. Unsupported, the doc
ument had lacked decisive value.
Support, as we have seen, comes now
in the astonishing reply of Herr Won
Jagow, the German Foreign Minister at
that time, which was first printed in this
country in full in The Tribune of Thurs
day. In his accusing Memorandum
Count Lichnowsly laid the fat charge
that:
[. lie encorragsd Count Berchtold
The austrian Foreign Minister
hria. to attack Serbia. although no Ger
faan interest 7cas incolued and the
danger Of q rcorld spar must hare
been hno7rn to us.
2. In the days betzOeen July .e3 and
July so, 1911, zy1en Mr.. Sasonof
emphaticolly declared that Russio
coutd not tolerate on attach upon
Serbia, zee rejected the British
proposals for mediation. although
Serbia, under Russian and British
pressure, had acceptcd almost the
ahole u't;mctum
8. OnJuly 80, srhen Court Berchiold
1canied to gire zcay, 7ce, zpithout
dnstria haUing been attacked, re-
piled to Russia's mere mobilization
by sending an ultimatum to 81.
Petersburg, ard on July 81 zoe de-
ctared Gar, although the Car he'd
Ptedged his cord that, as Iona as
negotiations continued, not q man
shoald march.
Now as to the truth Of this, le. Herr
Won Jagow answer in his own language.
in the defence he sets up against the
Lichncwsky charges:
/. 1t IS not true that the German
Foreign Office did not beliere the
reports sent by Lichnowsky that
England zpould protect France IN
der all circumstances.
g. haze already said that our pollen
zeas not based on the alleqed re-
ports zch'ch e.rcluded The possibn-
'ty Of zcar. 1T that date IJunel 7
regarded the zear as auoidablc. int
sac the serious Charge before us.
8. We could not agree to the Enqlish
proposal for conference of am
bassadors, for it doubtless zcould
houe meant for us a serious diplo-
matte defeat.
=. Inc best and only possible alter
nat've zcas the localisation Of the
Tdr 1. e., to austria and Serbia
alone
throughout the whole document there
Is no denial that Germany sunported
\ Austria in it's aggression toward little
Serbia. or that Germany did not know
.ne consequences. So far from this we
. nave the express recognition of the fact
.na1 russia would support Serbia and
.nst England would support France.
likewise the explicit admission that Cor
many could not and did not "agree to the
English proposal for conference" al
tnough the consequences Of this refus.,
were perfectly clear.
with all this evidence we NAV po h.cL
TO Count Lichnowsky's charge tbat.
ne decinred zea, on he Russ;oux
nfthougA fhe Cur haA ptedged his
ssord Aat az long ar negotiationa cou-
hnaed nat n man shouid march, Wc
Aeliberately destroyed The possibilitu
of n peaceful settlement.
Why? Because Germany feared "a
diplomatic defeat" not for itself, but for
Austria, and therefore refused to join in
the English proposal for conference.
There re.na,ns c9ly to add the czrmao