Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-28
GERMANS ARE HELD: BRITISH ADVANCE
Germans Admit Dream of
World Domination; Inner
Workings of Huns Exposed

heard of the decisive conversation
at Potsdam on July and of the
absolute assent which all person
ages in authority there gave to
Austria's inquiry that he knew that
General Won Moltke, then chief of
the general staff was pressing for
war or that he was informed of
the statement in the protocol of
the Potsdam meeting sent to Count
Mensdorff that these 'personages'
had agreed there would be no
harm if a war with Russia were to
result
Herr Won Jagow met his warn
ings about the probable effects of
the Potsdam policy upon British
opinion by assuring him Russia was
not ready and Germany must sim =
ply risk it This belief as to Rus
sian unreadiness caused US 20
stimulated Count BerchtoId to the
greatest possible energy
Meanwhile the attitude of Eng
land was absolutely pacific and the
English press protested against the
political exploitation of the Sara
jevo murders, but it sternly reprov-
ed the crime. 1t was at once un-
derstood that the unprecedented Ut
timatum which under Stimulation
from Berlin, Count Berchtold had
launched at Serbia meant war.
Still Sir Edward Grey, did not de-
spair and the former German am
bassador bears the strongest testi-
mony to the sincerity of his un-
wearying efforts to avert this war
W II n G U
assert he provoked.
"A hint from Berlin would have
been enough to make Count Berch-
told less satisfied with a diplomatic
success and to cause his acquies-
cence in the Serbian reply. What
happened?
This hint was not given, on
the contrary we pressed for war
Sir Edward besought Germany 10
make a proposal of her own; we
insisted upon war The Russian
foreign minister made urgent ap-
peals and definite declarations and
later the Russian emperor sent
positively humble kilograms in
vain Then Germany cut short all
hopes of peace by herself declar-
ing war.
Prince Lichnowsky speaks of
the 'perf1dy' of the policy he was
used to cloak, but it is not chiefly
upon sentimental or even upon
moral grounds that he condemned
the German system.
'Prussian 'militarists' were bent
upon war which was essential to
their own class interests"
l. 1, 4
Wilhelmstrasse on his return from
London he was told that in any
case there would have been war ia
1916, but then Russia would have
been ready and so 1t was better
now In the face of these facts.
many Of which must have passed
under his eyes, Lichnowski is not
astonished that the rest of the
world should look upon German
policy as it does. He finds 1t intel
lible that the allies should vow the
destruction of system which is
permanent menace to Germany'S
neighbOrs, that they should be
afraid to spare the system, lest
Germany should presently force an
other defensive war upon them.
and that they should look upon
Germany as still ruled by a caste
of feudal knights and junkers. He
does not consider that her future
prospects are brilliant. Central
Europe he declared, is mediaveal-
ism, and Berlin-to-Bagdad is cul
de sac The struggle she has pro-
voked will end in triumph for her
opponents and she will remain
alone with Austria and Hungary.
Such is the punishment he fore
sees for her folly and ner perfidv
in provoking the bloodiest war that
has ever scourged the nations of
the world"