New-York tribune., 1919-12-19
Winding Up the Case

ASSSh1iy publiSilcO ny hdIl AAutSky
not only establish Germany's war
guilt but emphatically fix personal
responsibility on the Kaiser.
Kautsky's disclosures destroy tho
claim that Austria and not Ger
many was the real instigator and
that the German government was
cajoled, cheated and terrorized by
Vienna into supporting the latters
fatal policy. This argument, badly
shattered already by Count Czernin's
memoirs illuminating the role of Won
Tschirschly, the German Ambassa-
dor at Vienna, is completely wrecked
by Herr Kautsky's evidence that
Tschirschky was egged on by Kaiser
Wilhelm himself.
On June 80. 1914. when the am
bassador informed his master that
he was "seizing every occasion,
quietly but very firmly and seriously,
to warn the Austrian government
against hasty steps" the Kaiser
added with his own all-highest hand
the following annexation:
"Who has authorized him to do
this? This Is very stupid. 1t is no
business Of his; it Is purely Austria's
affair to consider what she ought to
do in consequence. If aftcrward
things go wrong we shall be told
that Germany was not wiling!!
Tschirschky will please stop this
nonsense. A clearance must be
made Of the Serbs, and that soon!'
In the same report Tschirschky
said that In Vienna everybody be-
lieved thorough reckoning with the
Sell BIS inevitable. To this the Kaiser
added, "Now or never" Three days
after his rebuke Tschirschky, hav-
ing dutifully stopped nonsense"
told Count Berchtold that only ener-
getic action against Serbia would do.
The Importance Of the council held
at Potsdam on July 5, 1914, is re-
emphasized by the Kautsky docu-
ments. Count Szogy6ny, the Aus
trian Ambassador at Berlin, report
ed to the Vienna Foreign Office
conversation on that date with the
Kaiser, who told him that the Aus
tro- Hungarian government "might
rest assured that Germany, in case
of a war between AUSTRIA Hungary
and Russia, shall stand by the mon
archy with her usual loyalty and in
the usual manner"
On the following day (July g. the
Kaiser conferred at Potsdam with
Admiral Cappelle and Captain Zen
ker, of Tirpitzs staff, and with rep
resentatives Of the War Ministry
and the General Staff. What hap
pened at this conference is clear
from the following note written by
Baron Won dem Bussche, who was
later Under Secretary of the Ger
man Foreign Office:
at was resolved, with view to
all eventualities, TO take preparatory
measures for a war Orders in this
sense were accordingly issued
On July 8 the Austrian Ambassa-
dor reported that Tschirschky had
received reprimand for his luke
warmness" toward Count Berchtold
On the same day TschirschlSy told
the count that the Kaiser had in
structcd him to "declare in Vienna
with all possible emphasis that Ber-
lin was expecting action by the
monarchy against Serbia, and that
/ Germany would be at loss if the
monarchy should allow the proffered
opportunity to pass without striking
q blow"
Sir Edward Grey's efforts at medi-
alton, as reported by Prince Lich-
nowsky, were countered by the
Kaiser with the remark that Grey
uiASC DC SciO VC1y oC1 iOuolJ oiiN
plainly that won't stand any non
sense" On July 2S, when the Kaiser
was Informed Of Serbia's virtual
surrender to the Austrian demands
he dictated letter to Bethmann-
Hollweg urging that Austria should
march into Serbia, anyway.
Kautsky's revelations prove with
final force that once more mass
judgment, which branded the Kaisel
as the arch-criminal, was right, anc
those who prattle about "systems'
and international imperialisms, We're
wrong. Should the Allies at last de
eide to try the originators of the war
before world tribunal the collec.
tion issued by the German Socialist
writer viii form a most important
exhibit to be offered by the prosecu
ton
Buying OFF Bolshevism