The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-05

SCI h . q : S hl:.
tories. One Edwin O. Hill
more question: Are wars always
due to economic causes rs we
would be led to believe by state
ments made In connection with
the neutrality legislation in Con-
gress?
"Signed
~. R. WILKINSON.
philadelphia, March 49,"
The day I received this letter
I happened upon a photograph OF
q distinguished historian sur.
rounded by a mighty collection of
books and pamphlets. These all
had to do with the causes Of the
World War. In the collection there
must have been a thousand differ.
ent items. and very likely no two
Of them agreed exactly on the
subject.
IN THE NEWS
Morocco is in the news today.
This land of desert, mountains and
Moors played a part, something in
. very decisive way, in bringing
about the last war. Perhaps the
things happening there at present
will be steps to the next one.
General Franco launched his re-
bellion from Morocco. His enemies
charge that he has promised con-
cessionS there to italy and Ger
many for the help they are giving
him. At the same time, the House
Of Commons is informed that the
Spanish loyalists have made di'
rect offer to France and England
Of control Of Morocco in return
for their help against Franco.
Twice in the ten years which
preceded the fatal 1914, a general
European war almost had broken
out because of Morocco.
The first occasion was the I'M
expected and rather ridiculous
visit Of the Emperor Wilhelm In
1905 to greet his brother" the Sui
tan and to announce to the world
that he recognized the Sultan as
an independent sovereign. This
was throwing the glove at Frances
feet because France looked upon
the Sultan as her vassal. A con
ference smoothed this over.
The second occasion was ir
1911, when German warships took
control of the harbor of Agadir tc
protect some rather indefinite
German interests. This time Ger
many grabbed off a piece Of the
Congo as her price, and it is the
return of the same bit of Africa
that she Is clamoring for at pre-
sent.
My opinion, for what it Is
worth, is that men, and, some
times, women, are the chief causes
Of war.
Nine times out of 10 war may
be traced to the ambitions Of an
individual or the hatred Of one
group of individuals toward an
other. More often they are mott
waited by lust for power or by
racial and sectional dislike than
they are by the desire for eco
nomic betterment.
UNDERLYING CAUSES
The immediate cause of the
World War was the hatred exist
ing between the AuStrianS and
the Serbs. The spark for the ex
plosion was furnished by the muir.
der of the Archduke Ferdinand
at Sarajevo.
A majority Of those who have
studied the subject believe that
the war would have come even il
this murder had not taken place
With this, I do not agree because
at that very time a real effort at
an understanding was in the max
ing between Grey and Haldane
for England and Won Jagow and
Bethmann-Hollweg for Germany.
I wonder If the mutual dislike
Of an uncle and nephew was not
the chief antecedent Of the World
War. The uncle, Edward VII Of
England, and the nephew, Wilhelm
II Of Germany, couldn't strike 1t
off especially during the yacht rae
ing seasons at Cowes. When the
uncle let drop some remark about
his nephew'S manners, the nephew
sailed home, never to take part
again in the reglttas but deter.
mined to have a navy as big as his
uncle's.
But Edward VII had passed on
by 1914, and George v was more
likely to get on better with his
Prussian cousin.
Things were beginning to shape
up that way. but they had not gone
far enough at the time that the
tubercular young Serb shot dead
the Archduke and his consort as
they rode through a narrow. cob
bled street.
Copyright, 1897. by King Features