The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-06
Liberal Viewpoint
BY DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

July. 1884. is the twentieth anniversary Of
y that tragic combination Of confusion and
malevolence which ended by throwing the world
into the most costly military calamity OF human
history. Already the newspapers have begun to
comment upon the anniversary and to draw
lessons therefrom
interpretations of the significance and in
port OF the tragic days Of July, 1914 must Of ne
ceSsty vary according to the personal opinions
Of the writers. But we are in position to set
forth the facts after twenty years in preci-
and dependable form. This is the first and chief
obligation Of any one who ventures to comment
on the diplomatic crisis Of twenty years ago.
Yet we find even so excellent and eminent a
journal as the New York Times setting forth edi-
torially tie same old buncombe which misled
the world fer a decade after Serajevo. In the
issue of June % it states: THE coolest and most
impartial judgment on the basis of all the docu-
mentary evidence yet brought to light, is that
the Austrian government, artfully dragging Ger
many with it, was chiefly responsible for the
war that followed :"
There is perhaps less excuse for such a state
ment in the New York Times today, than in al
the New York Times Current History Magazine,
under the able and courageous editorship Of
George w. Ochs-Oakes. which played the lead
ing role in popularizing the facts about the re-
sponsibiIty for the World war.
WE now have the actual facts about 1914
w They represent a complete reversal of the
entente picture though nobody Of sense regards
Germany as snow white and guiltless lamb in
the midst Of a pack of bowling and badly
smeared wolves.
In the decade before the war, Germany had
made vigorous efforts to arrive at an under
standing with Russia England and France but
had failed
This was due partially to the French deter
mination to obtain Alsace-Lorraine, to the
British jealousy of German naval, mercantile
and colonial power and to the Russian desire
for the Straits 1t was in part the result of the
maladroit diplomacy of Chancellor Won Bulow
and his evil genius. Baron Won Holstein
From 1912 to 1914 Izvolski Russian ambas-
sador to Paris, and President Poincare of
France carried through diplomatic revolution
which placed France and Russia in readiness for
any favorable diplomatic crisis which would
bring in England on their Side make possible
the recapture of Alsace-Lorraine and assure the
seizure of the Straits
This opportunity came after the assassination
of the archduke on June %, 1914 Germany ac-
cepted all the important diplomatic proposals of
1914, save one. For this she substituted one
which England admitted was far superior. She
tried to hold Austria in check.
DUT France and Russia refused to be con-
- cilatory. In the midst of promising diplo-
matte negotiations Russia arbitrarily ordered a
general mobilization on the German frontier
France had given her prior approval. Such
mobilization long had been admitted to be tan
tamount to a declaration of war on Germany
After vainly eXhorting the Russians to cancel
their mobilization, Germany finally set her
forces in action against the numerous Russian
hordeS. France informed Russia that she had
decided on a day before Germany declared
war on Russia and three days before Germany
declared war on France.
England came in to check the growth of Ger
man naval colonial, and mercantile power The
Belgian gesture was a pure subterfuge used by
Grey to inflame the British populace He him.
self has admitted that he would have resigned
II England had not entered the war, even though
Germany had respected Belgian neutrality Bel
gium had not yet figured in the British cabinet
discussions when war was decided upon.
In the light of the Well-eStabliShed facts
about 1914, it now IS clear that, under existing
circumstances, Serbia Russia and France wished
European war in the summer of 1914; that
Austria Hungary desired a local punitive war
but not European war; and that Germany
Great Britain and Italy would have preferred no
war at all, but were too dilatory stupid or in
volved to act with sufficient expedition and de-
cisivenesS to avert the calamity.