At The Outbreak War

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1921, Page 3

At The Outbreak War

AMBASSADOR’S STIRRING ACCOUNT. diplomats in tears. A fresh instalment of tho letters and papers of Mr Page, tho United States Ambassador in London during the war, is published in the new number of the World’s Work. Tt is of absorbing interest, dealing with tho outbreak of war and giving an intimate and sympathetic picture of men and events.

“The Grand Smash is cwniie,” he wrote Oil August 2, 1914. “Troops wore marching through London at 1 this morning. It will revive our shipping. It will probably help us politl callv and it will surely help its economically. The possible consequences stagger the imagination. Germany lias staked everything on her ability to win primacy. England and France (to say nothing of Russia) really ought to give her a drubbing.” When Great Britain declared war Americans poured in demanding relief: “The first two days there was of course great confusion. Crazy moil and woeping women were imploring and cursing and demanding—God knows it was Bedlam turned loose. . . Poor Mensdorff. the Austrian Ambassador does not know where lie is. He is practically shut up his guarded Embassy. weeping and waiting the decree of fate. I wont to see the German Ambassador (Lichnowsky) at 3 in the afternoon. He came down in bis pyjamas—a crazy man. I feared be might literally go mad. This interview was one of the most pathetic experiences of my life. The poor man had not slept for several nights ” WHAT THE KING SAID.

Mr Page was penetrated by the tremendous grandeur and solemnity of that moment in history : “If one could fio r get the awful tragedy, all this experience would he worth a lifetime of commonplace. I shall never forget Sir Edward Grey telling me of the ultimatum while he wept; nor the poor German Ambassador, who has lost in high game—almost a demented man; nor the King as tie declaimed at me for half all hour and threw up his hand and said “My God Mr Pago, what else could we do?” Nor the Austrian Ambassador's wringing his hands and weeping and crying out, ‘My dear colleague, my dear colleague!’ ”

Comic relief was given by “two reverend American peace delegates who got nut of Germany by the skin of then teeth and eniiiiilain that they lost till tin' clothes they had except what they had on. Don’t complain,’ said I, ‘but thank God you saved your skins.’ ” Nor was this all : “Six American preachers pass a resolution unanimous- t Iv “urging our Ambassador to tele--graph our beloved peace-loving I’resi- ; dent to stop this awful war’; and they come with simple solemnity to present their resolution. Lord save us what a world!” A PROPHEC'V. | Already lie foresaw the issue: “Ger- i many will be beaten : England will gain even more of the earth’s surface; Hus- j sia may next play the menace ; all Europe will he bankrupt. Be ready,” (he ! wrote to President Wilson), “for you will be called on to compose this huge quarrel. Now, when nil this half of | the world will suffer the unspeakable j brutalisation Aj war, we shall preserve j our moral strength, our political power j and our ideals.” An account is given of an historic: j interview with Sir Edward Grey at the ; Foreign Office on August 4th., the day \ of Great Britain’s declaration of war: j "There was nothing flurried or exeit- ! etl in his manner; his whole hearing j was calm and dignified, lie uttered not ; one bitter word against Germany, but ; his measured accents had a soreness, a I conviction of the justice of his cause, | that went home in almost deadly fashion. 'This very mnniing.’ he said, ■the Swedish Minister informed me that ; Germany had made overtures to Sweden ; to come in on Germany’s side. The , whole plan is' thus cleat. This one ;; 11 ■ t military Power means to annex Belgium, Holland, and the Scandinavian States, ami to subjugate France.' "Sir Edward energetically ruse; ho again stood near the- mantelpiece, his figure straightened, his eves were fairly Hashing. 'England would he for ever contemptible,’ lie said, 'if ii should sit liy anil see this treaty (guaranteeing Belgian neutrality') violated. Its position would lie gone if Germany weie thus permitted to dominate' Kuro|>o. Sir Edward knew that Germane would not accept the British ultimatum : •• ‘The war party in Germany,’ he said, ‘has got. the upper hand.’ At this point his e\es tilled with tears. 1 lints the efforts of a lifetime go lor nothing. 1 feel like a man who has wasted his life.’ ” GERMAN ATROCITIES. Mr Page felt from the first "that Gieat, Britain was right and Germany was u rung,” and lie showed his* opinion as to the German atrocities in a remarkable telegram to the President, sent on September 11 : "Accounts of atrocities are so inevitably a unit of every war that lor some time I did not believe the unbelievable reports that weir sent Irom Europe, and there are many that I find | iuetedihle even now. But American and other neutral observers who have ' seen these tilings in Franc", anti espeI chilly in Belgium, now convince me that I the Germans have perpetrated some ot the most harharoils deeds in history: Appaioiilly credible persons relate such things withunt oiul.”