The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-11-15

ina m war was inevitable.
Publication Of the "W 'lly-Nicky'
correspondence in 1917 placed the Ger.
man emperor in the light OF an unscru-
pulous plOtter. The kilograms disclosed
that Emperor William had induced
Emperor Nicholas Of Russia TO sign a
secret agreement to which he was 10
force the adherence of France in the
perfection of an offensive and defens-
i've alliance against England. The
treaty was discovered and repudiated
by n Russian minister.
Failing in his attempt, the German
emperor set upon himself the task OF
drawing England TO his side against
France and Russia.
How wen he thought he had u
ceeded in this may be gathered from
a letter he wrote TO President Wilson
In 1914 in which he said King George
had promised Prince Henry of Prussia,
on July 20, 1914, that England would
remain neutral in Il war involving the
central powers with France and Rus
STA.
~Lichnowsky Shows Up Intrigue.
Perhaps the most direct and Il .thori-
tative Of the accusations against the
German emperor and the pan-Germans
are contained In the published secret
memorandum of Prince Charles Max
L~ichnOwSky, who vas German am
bassador at London ut the outbreak OF
hostillties.
The prince unequivOcally placed the
blame for the wal on Germany, and
for his frankness was imprisoned in Il
SileSian chateau, permanently expelled
from The Prussian house Of lords,
which action was sanctioned by the
emperor, and finally was eXiled to
Switzerland.
Emperor Williams domination over
German statesmen, diplomats and the
high command of the German army
was emphasized by Or. Wilhelm
MuehlOn, Il former director of the
krupp works, the great German NUM-
tons factory, in his book on The
Devastation of Europe" In this he
not only laid blame upon Germany for
bad fab and criticized the German
army for its brutality but asserted that
in the German foreign office "only he
who did the emperor's bidding was al
lowed TO remain" "They could not
do better" he declared, because Of
the character, the power, the vascilla-
ton Of and continued Interference by
the kaiser"
1t was Doctor MuehlOn who asserted
the authenticity Of the statement that
Emperor William stated at a meeting
of German army officers that he had
plenty Of prisoners and that he hoped
the officers would see that no more
prisoners were taken.
Macmillan Harden, a German lib
eral leader, declared the German ruler
brought on the wal because of his de"
sire "for something like world rule"
"No Nonsense From U.s."
The emperor, despite his previous
expressions of good will for America,
gave vent to his anger against the
United States when it became evident
no official action would be taken to
stop the shipment of munitions and
supplies to the entente allies by de-
claring to the American ambassador,
James w. Gerard, Il shall stand no
nonsense from America after the
war"
Williams designs to spread German
dominion in Asia found expression in
his famous visits to Constantinople
when he was proclaimed as protector
of the Moslems. In this the world saw
a cunning step toward achievement OF
the German ambition of German do
minion from Berlin to Bagdad.
Friedrich Wilhelm Victor Albert was
born January 27, 1859, and became
Emperor William III on the death Of
his father, Frederick iii, June 10, 1888.
He came out Of the University of Bonn
fully prepared to enter the school Of
statecraft. Set to work in the govern
ment bureaus, he was early taught the
routine Of official business under the
tutelage Of the great Bismarck.
At the death of his father, the i'm
perial throne devOlved upon William
III, who was then but Twenty-Five
years Of age. Bismarck continued as
chancellor, but not for long.
In 1890 the disagreement of the two
men reached q crisis, a rupture came
and Bismarck went. The relations be-
tween the two men remained strained
for several years, but before Bismarck
died peace was made between them.
Stickler for Military Etiquette.
With the passing of Bismarck the
emperor's real reign began. AS a mill
tary man he was a stickler for eff
cheney, discipline and the observance
of etiquette to the last detail. And with
the details Of all these cOmponents Of
army life and training he was familiar
to the smallest point.
In everything he was described as
thorough and, withal, one Of the hard
- 49, -~