The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1921-09-08
ON THE EVE OF THE
TRAGEDY.

Now that the war is ended and
the world is squaring itself with
its conditions and it's conscience,
those who were at the source of
the tragedy are speaking out.
Their stories of the origin of the
war possess an amazing interest.
The following is quoted from an
interview in La Revue De France
by Jules Cambon. French AM
bassador at Berlin in 1914:
Three days after the ultimatum
was delivered to Serbia, | had a
long interview with Won Jagow
and said to him. as | was leaving,
looking him straight in the eye:
"Will you let me speak to you as
man to MANI" He nodded assent.
well, then, let me tell you that
what you are planning will prove
fearful blunder. You will gain
nothing and you risk everything.
France will defend hersNlf in
finitely better than you fancy.
England, which made the fearful
blunder of letting us be crushed
in 1870, will not repeat it. Be sure
of that. You may trust my word.
| am not speaking lightly. Will
you grant that | am one of the
ten men in Europe who knows the
international situation best? | de-
clare to you that, for both mate
rial and moral reasons, England
cannot keep out of a conflict. She
will be forced to join us. Have you
considered the formidable conse-
quences of that? You will find
yourself alone, pitted against all
Europe, with your only ally a
worm-eaten decadent empire"
Won Jagow regarded me with
a slightly ironical look: "You
have your reports. We have ours,
which are lust the opposite. We
are certain that England will re-
main neutral"
England's silence as 'the great
misfortune the great tragedy of
this fatal week" If Germany had
known that she would have to
fight England, she would not have
risked war. 1t was a bully's mis-
take. for which the world has paid
dearly. The French Ambassador
is even more interesting and i'm
structiye in the following:
Let me relate, in this connec-
ton, curious anecdote. 1t was
just after the Agadir crisis. |
went one day to visit Klderlen
Waechter. He was man who had
his faults, but he possessed a.
frankness which at times verged
ON the brutal. Of all the Germans
with whom | have dealt, he is the
one with whom, upon the whole,
| got along best. So | said to him
bluntly: why in the devil have
you exploded this Agdir thing ON
isl What's your purpose? What
good will it do? You've compro-
missed the relations of our two
run the risk of starting
a war, aroused Nationalist senti-
nent in France, awakened the dis
England and what do you get by
It? Even in Germany, the public
IS furious with you. The people |
think they have been Inundated.
They are convinced that their
country has received al slap in
he face Why did you serd that |
Uarship to Agadir?" i
He pOndered moment and |
said: Good! Since you asked. I |
will answer honestly. Last spring,
)ur Crown Prince went fox hunt
ng in England. You know the
english, how courteously and corr
lially they treat their guests. Hei
vas shown great attention ever-l
Statesmen, Cabinet minis
,ers. men of the world, ladies of
high rank, eagerly sought the hon
,r of being introduced to him and
# being invited to the receptions
given to him. Everywhere he
leard the most friendly and flat
;ering sentiments EXPRESSED to-
wards Germany. This hospitable
prodigal kindness and
,ouhstesy, completely turned his
lead-Which isn't very well balan-
ed anyway. He took everything /
hat was told him at it's face value. I,
lie came back convinced that he 1
vas the most popular Prince in
England, that all Englishmen are
he devoted friends of Germany, !,
md that consequently England 1
would never, under any circum-
tances. side with France in a
onflict with Germany. He repeat
d all this to the Kaiser. with ex-