STARTLING FACTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1917, Page 3

STARTLING FACTS.

CAUSE OF 'W'AJI.

SOME GERMAN DISCLOSURES.

(Per ■ Press Association —Copyright)

[LONDON TIMES SERVICE —COPYRIGHT] Recant political quarrels in Germany V- brought important disclosures, which , enabled the Times correspondent, on unimpeachable Authority, to bring to light startling facts of li 0 w Germany plunged the. world into war. • The information is based on the puolio report of Herr Haase’s speech in the Reichstag lass week, wherein he referred . to a meeting on sth July 1914, as one matter which'would need to be explained before the origin of itho war could be rt finally understood. • The correspondent says:—“l have it • on - authority impossible to doubt ser, Count Hollweg, Admiral Tirpitz, that a meeting was held at Potsdam at > which tho Ka a - General Falkenhayn and von Sturm, and the Archduke Frederick Holizendorf were present. Ja'gow and Moltke were not present. m _ The meeting discussed and decided o n the principal points of the Austrian ultimatum to be dispatched to Serbia eighteen days later. It was recognised that Russia would probably refuse to submit "to .such a direct humiliation and that war would result; That consequence the meeting definitely decoded to accept. • The Kaiser then went to Norway with the object of throwing dust in the eyes of the Franco and Russian Governmentsl Three weeks later, when it was known that England was not remaining neutral Count Hollweg wished to withdraw, but it as too late, the decision of July sth. being crucial and irrevocable. It is certain that* most of Herr Hauso’s hearor 3 were fully awaro of the meaning of his reference to the fatal date. - The subject appears to have been more fully and explicity raised at a secret meeting of the Budget Committee in the Reichstag, eight weeks ago by Socialists, who challenged a certain Minister to deny th° faots.. The Minister -declined to make any statement. ■ ■ - The incident created an immense sensation. The fact that Haase ha s now raised the matter in public appears to indicate that he and his friends consider the ■time has come to , bring the truth to light- - * . The Berlin correspondent. ot tlic Times, commenting on this, says von Jagow repeatedly denied that he was aware of the contents of the "Austrian ultimatum before it was published. He pledged me his word to this effect. - The fact) that General Moltke., then thief of the General Staff, wa s excluded from the plot, sheds a fresh light on career. He was superseded after the first failures of the campaign ill France. Before his death he stated that some day there would he disclosures about the early stages of the war. The “Times” says it is impossible to exaggerate the gravity of the disclosures and challenges Germany to provide a denial by publishing the diplomatic correspondence between Berlin and (\aienna. GERMAN CHANCELLOR'S REPLY. CHARGES AGAINST ALLIES. COPENHAGEN, July ‘At. Dr Michaelib summoned a party of journalists to Berlin in order to reply to' Hon. Lloyd George. He declared that it wa ß evident that Britain did not want peaoe by agree- ' meat ,ond was resolved on Germany’s enslavement. He asserted that reports of eye-witnesses of the secret sitting of tho French Chamber on June Ist ana 2nd showed that M. Briand and M. Ribot were forced to confess that shortly before the Russian revolution, France negotiated with tho Czar’s Government for an agreement providing for French annexation of the Saai basin, as well as Alsace and Lorraine, and other vast territorial changes on the left bank of the river Rhine, and the French annexation of Syria. M. Briand declared that whatever the opinion of the Russian masses, Russia was bound to. carry out tho treaty. Dr Michaelis challenged French Ministers tb deny this. He declared all this was done with (Britain’s approval.