Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-02
AUTHORSHIP
OF WAR SHOWN
BY BAVARIA
State Documents Expose Plan
of Germany and Austria
TO Make War

Copenhagen, Denmark - The
Munich Korespondenz Hoffmann
publishes an official report re-
garding the origin of the war bear
ing out facts already known that
Germany and Austria had fully de-
cided to begin the war in July, 1914,
long before the /ultimatum was
handed to Serbia, and also showing
that the date of the opening of the
conflict had been. expressly delayed
until the French Premier's visit to
st. Petersburg was ended, in order
that 1t might be precipitated when
quick action on the part of the En-
tente would not be easy.
This report confirms in an unmis-
taxable form all the previous evi-
dence that Germany worked with
Austria Hungary in imposing an. ul-
timatum upon Serbia such as was
known would lead TO war and that
Germany was determined war
should follow.
The Munich Korrespondenz Hoff-
mann states that the Premier and
FOREIGN Minister of Bavaria re-
quested permission from the federal
government to publish documents
l.
The revelations are contained in q
report of July 1S, 1914, made by
Count Won Lerchenfield, Bavarian
Minister to Berlin.
Recording his conversations in
the Foreign Office with Dr. Won
zimmerman, the Imperial Under
Secretary of State, with reference to
the Balkans. and with the Austro-
III II D1 rim A I'm has Il In, Ia,
garding the Triple Alliance, Count
Won Lerchenfeld says with reference
to the note to Serbia:
THE delivery of the note will take
place on July %. Action has been
postponed until this juncture because
of a desire to wait for NJ. Niviani's
departure from st. Petersburg, in
order to make il difficult for the
Entente to arrive at an understand
ing and to counteract. In Vienna,
until then, a show of peaceful dis
position is to be made and the Min-
lister of War and chief of the Gen
eral Staff are to have a furlough Cor
some time"
After informing his government
OF the probable contents of the note,
Won Lerchenfeld continues:
ut is obvious that Serbia cannot
accept such conditions which are in
consistent with her dignity as an.
independent state. The consequence
is therefore that there must be war.
1t is absolutely necessary here that
Austria should take advantage of
this favorable moment, even at the
danger of further complications"
In a telegraphic communication
from the Bavarian legation on the
morning of July 81, 1914, the con-
viction was expressed that Sr. Ed
ward Grey's honest efforts to pre-
serve peace would certainly not sue
ceed in arresting the course of
events.
In a communication from the
Legation later on the same day, Won
Lerchenfeld said:
'At present two ultimatums have
been sent-one to st. Petersburg,
expiring in II hours, and rne other
to Paris, expiring in Is hours. To
st. Petersburg the inquiry is for the
reason of the Russian mobilization,
and to Paris the inquiry is whether
that country will remain neutral.
Both will, of course, be answered by
q refusal. Then mobilization will
take place at midnight on Saturday,
August l. The Prussian General
Staff awaits war against France full
of confidence and reckons to be able
to overthrow France in the course
of four weeks. The morale of the
French Army is not good. 1t has
only few very large howitzers and
bad rifles"
In a report dated August 4, 1914,
Won Lerchenfeld said regarding Bel
gium.
Germany cannot respect Belgian
The chief of the gen.
eral staff has declared that even
British neutrality would be paid for
too dearly If the price was the re-
spect of Belgium, declaring an at
tack on France is only possible
Belgium"
The belated publication of this
document by the Bavarian govern
ment is believed to be for tho pur-
pose of gaining some moral credit
and thus possibly escaping the share
of the persIlties whcih all these plots
must bring upon the German nation.
H~oI