Evening star., 1924-05-25
'Germany Seeks to Dodge
Responsibility for the War


consider here that this is decisive hour for
Austria. and for that reason they have de-
quest from Vienna. that we approve any reso-
luton that may be taken at Vienna, even at
the risk of war with Russia At
Vienna they do not appear TO have expected
such an uncompromising intervention on the
part of Germany, in favor of the Danubian
monarchy. and Herr zimmerman mas me I'M
the always fearful and hesitating authorities
of Vienna not to be eAhorted by the Germans
to prudence and moderation
Urged to Conflict.
This report is the clearest evil
dence that, in the Serbian affair, Ger
many, while kept informed of all it's
details, was urging Austria into
conflict. 1t proves conclusively, at
the same time, that France mad Eng
land were, on the contrary. moved
by sincerely pacific intentions. The
passages which we have just repro
duced are indeed followed by this
sentence: Herr Zimmerman reckons
that England, as well as France, who
can scarcely wish war just now, will
exert pacifying influence upon
Russia. Herr Zimmerman. who
was, at the time, undersecretary of
state at the imperial ministry for
foreign affairs, was undoubtedly well
informed.
"The details we have just given,
whilst generating France, undis-
putably prove the complete respon-
sibiity Of Germany in the the Aus5ro
which had thus been provoked to
be at least localized? England. the
United States and France We're using
every means to that end. Suddenly
gust l (exactly at midnighD, the Ger
man ambassador at st. Petersburg
went to the house of the Russian
minister for foreign affairs, and had
him awakened, in order to hand him
note German documents No. 490), 4,
stating that Germany, on account of
the Russian general mobilization, had
declared the state of danger of
war and that mobilization would
follow if within twelve hours Rus
STA did not stop all war preparations
against Germany and Austria and if
she did not make a precise declara
tion to that effect.
Mobilize as Precaution.
1T is true that Russia had just
mobilized, but she had excellent rea-
sons for doing so, and Germany, on
the other hand, had no cause for COM
plant on that score. At that moment
the situation was so serious that
every country in Europe was taking
similar precautions, even Holland,
who almost at the same hour was
calling up her territorial troops to
the colors German documents No.
5l6). Austria Hungary had not lag
ged behind. We learn from a tele-
gram sent from Berlin by the i'm
perial and royal Austrian amba sador
and dated July 80 austrian Diplo-
matte documents III, No. 34 that the
Austro- Hungarian military attache,
after very important conversat ton
with the chief of the German general
stan. had just sent to Baron Conrad.
chief of the Austro- Hungarian gen
eral staff, a telegram to the effect
that Count Won Moltke advises ear
nestly to carry out general mobiliza-
iton Immediately Furthermore. we
learn from the minutes of an under
secretary of state of the imperial for
elgn office German documents No
49S) that the decision to carry out
the general mobilization was in fact
taken by Austria Hungary on July
80 The mobilization order was is
sued on the next day, July 81
All this was quite sufficient to JUS
tify the measure of mobilization
| taken by Russia. The latter had.
moreover. some other reasons The
German chancellor himself acknowl-
| edges. in d telegram to his ambas-
sador in London German documents
No. 4SS). that the Russian general
mobilization might have been caused
by the rumorS of a general mobiliza-
tion in Germany which had spread
abroad. 1t is well known that on
July 30 a newspaper closely con-
nected with official circles and of
which the German government often
made use of for the communication
of any news they wanted to impart
to the public-the Lokal Anzeiger-
had. in a special issue. announced
that general mobilization had Just
been decreed in Germany. The news
was denied later. but in words which
left room for the most disquieting
suppositions. Indeed, the Russian
ambassador at Berlin had telegraphed
on the same day to st. Petersburg,
and the German government was
aware of the fact German documents
No. 490). that Germany had mobilized.
1T was, therefore, both compre-