GERMANY'S WAR PLANS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 7

GERMANY'S WAR PLANS

DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE ATTEMPT TO COERCE FKANCE Some of the diplomatic events and developments winch immediately preceded the outbreak of war were described by the London correspondent of an American, paper, writing on July 29:— Germany's responsibility for bringing on the present ominous crisis in European affairs appears to be greater than is generally understood. A , new : light'on tho aggressive spirit in German diplomacy Uas been thrown by.a letter to the "Daily Telegraph" from its Paris , correspondent, giving a communication.from tile German Ambassador to France, Baron von Schoon, which amounted to a threat of war if franco did not use her influence to keep her ally,- Russia, out of Servia. The writer says^—" "The strongest evidence thatSheAußtrian move is in reality a deliberately concerted German mova is the estraor-' dinary step taken on Friday by the German Ambasador in Paris, Baroa yon Schoen, which was known at the time only to the "Daily Telegraph" in London and to tho "Echo do Paris" in Paris. From all the Press except these two newspapers the secret was extraordinarily well-kept. Baron yoii Schoen himself thought that no one in the public knew of his demarche until he read, his papers on Saturday morning. _It was in consequence of this publication that he paid a second visit to the Quai d'Orsay on the following day and made a communication there which was, in, effect, a toning down of his communication of the day before. " ■ • "The precise terms of both Friday's and Saturday's communication from Baron von Schoen to the French Government are not and will not be;known. 1 am informed, however, that the terms published on Saturday morning are not stronger than those which the German Ambassador actually used. That is to say, the expression of the German Ambassador's fears that dangerous friction might arise between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente , _ in the event of the Powers of the Triple Entente not taking steps to localise tie Wflict between Austria and Servia, 'By no means overstates what Baron von Schoen said. The English words 'dangerous friction , are, u fact, a rather milder translation of the French expression used, 'grave tension.' "Divested of diplomatic .circumlocutions, Baron von Schoen's communication meant 'if France and England do not etop Russia intervening against Austria, the Triple Alliance will declare war on the Triple Entente. , "The aggravation of this extraordmtry communication of Baron von Schoen was that it was made first of all to France only on Friday. I am informed on the best authority that it was made subsequently, that is to say, yesterday, to the English Foreign Office also. But the fact remains that the communication was made to the French Government first, and, that ie the most serious feature about it. "Another extraordinary circumstance about it is tlie obvious intention of the German Embassy, and of the French. Government to keep the communication secret. Baron von Schoen's first communication was so strange .that there was some idea, to begin with, of his having acted to a certain oxtent on his own authority and without instructions. This is not the case. "Baron von Schoen, on the contrary, is known to be a diplomatist of much prudence nnd tact. He acted an full instructions from the YVilhelmstrasse. , 'Tho implication contained in Baron von Schoen's verbal note was that France was to be held as a hostage for the non-intervention of Russia. "Resentment is felt here at the Aub-trc-Hungarian move, for a particular reason. I am informed that the Emperor of Russia and the President .of th« French Republic, during their recent interviews'in Russia, received the assurance ■ that the Austro-Hnnearian note to Servia would be' much less throntenina: than it proved to be. "The nttitude of the French people is quite quiet, but, not the quiet bred or indifference. Tlie general French-atti-tude may once more, be shown hy pointing te extremists like M. .Tnnres. Even M. -Inures writes severely about theAustria move, ,*ml ovrn an extreme R/idiesl paper like "La Lanterrie sticks of sinking all domestic polihcal differences in tho present crisis. Political enmities—and Fcnvon knows there are political enmities enough in the onse—wero forsotten in the anxiety about srmter issues." Sunport, of the information to the "Thilv ToWrnnh," nnd evidence of French sentiments expressed in Parisinn papers, is further piyen by a correspondent of the "Pall Mall Gazette," who says:— "Tho 'Echo de Paris' states that the German Ambassador called on M. Birnivemi Martin, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, and made a'communication to him the tenor, of which transformed the Aiistro-Sorvinn rlisputo into a European diplomatic conflict. , . . "The 'FAw de Paris' remarks that under the cloak of localising the conflict an attempt is now ntnde to htirailinte the Trip!? Entente. Lust- week, tho journal continues, n In'gh official of the Austrian Forcicn Office assured tho French Ambassador in Vienna that the Austrian Note to Servia would be a conciliatory one.

"At the same time Germany wni adopting military ineasnr«s simitar' to , those taken in 1911. This, snys tt.» 'Echo do Paris,' is a new 'coup tl'Aeadir.' Italian diplomacy, it concludes, anpears not to have been informed of the proposed steps. "All the other newspapers discuss the Austrian ultimatum, and dwell on tho fact that Ausrm-Hungnry has ehoson a moment when M. Poine*™ and M. Viviani are away, trh<»n the Russinn Rovwnp'rnt is stniitsrline a formidable strike, end wh"n tlip Psritish Government is. in diffionlriVs "\ THster. to bring its threats to a ]wV Tlie Austrian military party, in sfroonicnt with that, of Berlin, is eoT!sid"riiic; tlio possibility by poing to wnr acainSt Sorvia of destroying thp new balanco in the rjnlknns. wliicli is more favourable to the Triple Entente than to t<he Triple Alliance."