Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-29
.L|CHN0WsKY PLACES WARS
BLAME ON OWN COUNTRY
Former German Ambassador to
Great Britain Lays Bare
Whole Hun Crime.
DELIBERATE PRovooATIoN
Opened Hostilitics in Face of Cars
Guarantee Not Man Should
March Pending Negotiations.
Military Party Responsible.
tBy Associated P.css1

LONDON, March 2S-The personal
memorandum of Prince Lichnowsky re-
vealing the inner workings OF German
diplomacy, which has caused much
feeling in Germany agains, the former
ambassador to Great Britain. leaked
out last summer through the German
general STAFF after the fall of Chan
cellor Won Ho!lwcg. This statement Is
made by the Socialist Norwaerts, OF
Berlin, and is published by the Times.
which also reprints from the Vor-
waerts the most important points Of
the memorandum. In an editorial on
the disc! osures OF the prince the Times
says:
by a coincidence as strange as II
Is opportune., passages in the memo
randum in which the former German
ambassador fixed the guilt for the war
upon his own government. reach up as
the fercest and bloodicst conflict Of
the long struggle is at its height. Al
the moment when mankind Is filled
with horror and anguish at the car
mage on the great battle field. all eyes
will turn 10 this account Of the policy
which brought this dread visitation
upon the world.
HAS NO SHADOW OF DOUBT
AS no GERMAN RESPONSIBILITY
He has not a shadow OF doubt
about the responsibility for the war.
without hesitation he fastcns it upon
Germany. The German nilitarists were
ine1orable. 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 10
Russia and the next day declared war
upon her. although the Russian EN-
Deror had pledged his word that while
he negotiations continued not man
should march.
I'VE deliberately destroyed the pos
eibility OF a peaceful settlement is the
former ambassadors considered judg.
ment. He cannot feel surprised that
The whole civilized world outside
Germany attributes to us sole guilt for
the world war The whole story which
he records corroborates this judgment
and cannot be reconciled with any
other.
FIRST HINT OF TROUBLE
FROM BETHNANN-HOLLW
The frs; hint of coming trouble
which reached him seemed 10 have
been Won Bethma -Hollweg's refusal
10 share his optimism when he visited
Wilhelmstrasse early in July. 1914
The Chancellor and the Cndersecretary
tor Foreign Affairs complained OF Rus
sian argument and the latter declared
that Russia was everywhere in Ger
manys way. At the Same time he
learned that Won Tchirsky. the Ger
man ambassador at Vienna, had been
rebuked because he had counseled
mediation toward Serbia. But these
were mere straws showing the direc-
ton Of the current
1T was not until later that he heard
OF the decisive conversation at Pots
dam on July ;. and OF the absolute
assent which 'all personages in au-
thority there gave to Austria's in
quiry that he knew that General Won
Moitke. then chief OF the general staff,
was pressing for war or that he was
informed OF the statemen. in the pro-
,tocol OF the Potsdam meeting sent to
Count Mensdorn that these person
ages had agreed there would be no
harm IL 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
assuring him Russia was not ready and
Germany must simply risk it, The
belief as to- Russian unreadiness
caused us to stimulate Count Berch-
told to the greatest possibly energy
ENGLISH PRESS THEN
WAS ABSOLUTELY PACIFIC
Meanwhile the attitude OF England
was absolutely pacific. and the Eng
lish press protested against the politi-
cal exploitation OF the Sarajevo muir
ders. but II sternly reproved the crime.
1t at once understood that the un-
precedentcd ultimatum which under
stimulation from Berlin Count Berch-
told had launched at Serbia meant war.
Still Sir Edward Gray. a s he then was.
did not despair. and the forme. German
amba ssador bears the strongest testi.
mony to the sincerity of his unweary-
ing efforts to avert this war which the
Germans calumniously assert he pro-
voked.
"The prince declares that 1T would