Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-05-18
MARSHAL TELLS
OF ULTIMATUM
STARTING WAR

of Associated Press. THE events sur
rounding the drafting and dispatching
of the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia
which inaugurated the world war are
given their first amplification in the
Forthcoming publication of the war
recollections of Conrad Won Holtzen-
dorf, the former AuStro-H Hungarian
Field Marshal
The advanced proofs Of the volume
which is entitled. ''The Road to the Ca
tastrophe,' indicate that it will prove
significant parallel to General Lu-
dendorff's memoirs because of it's dra-
matte and intimate revelations CT aus
tro-Hungarian diplomacy and war pol
1cles and because of the cand0r with
which it discusses Emperor Charles,
the cooperation of the German and
Austro-Hungarian general staff, the
relations of the former Emperor dram
els Joseph and the German Emperor
William, the social and political in
trlgulng of the Austrian Empress Zita
and the whole hierarchy of the Austri-
an grand dukes.
The volume is compiled DIV kar,
Nowak, an author and journalist and
formerly war correspondent of the
Cologne Gazette, who for to years
was assigned in personal capacity
to Marshal Won Hoetzenrodfs head
all the eastern fronts and while his
quarters Nowah reported the war on
name nOminally appears on the title
page the volume is known 20 be Won
Hoetzendorf's authorized and person.
ally revised recollections,
Counts Plans Unknown.
Discussing the events Immediately
following the assassination of Arch
duke Frederick at Sarajevo, Nowak
states that few, if any people knew the
plans of Count Won Berchtold. then
Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister.
Not even the high military officials
were informed nor was it known
whether he has communicated with
Berlin according to the writer.
Indignation in political and diplo-
matte circles ran high as result of
the murder" reads the memoirs. mil
itary leaders quoted Won Moltke's
words, we know the catastrophe will
come some day: the sooner the Letter
for u.s."
This was the situation Marshal Won
HoetzendOrf found on his return from
a feigned holiday in the Tyrol where
he went after tie killing of the Arch
duke at SarajeYo, in order to create
the impression that the situation was
not menacing. Nowak describes the
episode of the ultimatum to Serbia as
follows
The ministers were summoned to
Ballhausplatz (Foreign Office. Won
Hoetzendorf then chief of the general
staff, was hurriedly recalled from Ty-
rol where he was on leave granted
him after the Sarajeyo assassination.
Count Won Bertchold who conducted
the deliberations consulted the General
in purely military matters. The dip
lomatic situation was not mentioned
nor was any reference made either to
the Serbian ultimatum or to any other
ultimatum.
Feared Test of War.
Won HOetzendorf frankly analyized
every possible hostile constellation
and did not counsel his conviction
that the Austro-Hungarian monarchy
was unequal to the demands of war
on three fronts. He referred to similar
views previously expressed in the pre-
ceding years, in which he had pointed
out exactly such complications and
entered upon minute consideration of
every emergency growing out of a
possible international clash.
Count Won Berchtold asked him
whether the prospects for the monar
chy would improve in the course of the
next few years. Won Hoetzdorf spoke
of Hungarian opposition to huge ar
mament credits and the speed with
which the other nations were arming.
He declared that he would be guilty
of lying if he said the chances of the
monarchy would later on be more aus
picious. On the contrary he believed
they were bound to grow worse in the
face of the prevalent Discrimination to,
grant war credits and the growing ma
tionalistic propaganda. His advice rep
resented the frank judgment of mill
itary expert given solely in reply to
the minister's demand. Count Won
Berchtold sought no further informa-
ton and the conference disbanded.
A Decisive Conference.
For decisive conference on the
ultimatum the ministers were sum-
moned three days later to Cow Won
Berchtold's residence Emperor Fran
els Joseph was not present, but Count
Tisza, the Hungarian premier, Count
Won stuergh the Austrian premier,
Marshal Won Holtzendorf, Minister Of
War Korbath and one naval expert
were present Count Won Berchtold
again conducted the deliberations. Two
ministerial officers were called in