DIPLOMATIC SECRETS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 February 1929, Page 2

DIPLOMATIC SECRETS

A GERMAN FOREIGN OFFICE MYSTERY. fßy 11. \Y. Wi.son. author of “ The War Cult.”) LONDON, Dec. 7. A diplomatic secret of lirst-class importance is contained in the new volume of. confidential Foreign Office documents published to-day. It is that in -March 1909, about the very date of the great naval crisis which arose that year in this country, Germany directly threatened the British Government with war. . . The threat was concealed from the nation at the time, and the public was kept in ignorance of it for many years, though there, is an allusion to it in Sir S. Lee’s life of King Edward puflushed in 1927. Of extreme interest, too, is the light which the new documents shed on the devoted and untiling efforts of King .Edward Yll to remove misunderstandings and maintain peace. Between 1903 and 1909 his activity was untiring hut all his endeavours shattered on theill will of Germany. YEARS OF DANGER. Those years were years of danger and tension, and the danger and tension were increased by the British failure to maintain the adequate superiority of the British Fleet as against Germany. Most people have forgotten the Sinai dispute in 1906, when Tur key seized an important strategic point, Tabu, on Egyptian territory. It now appears that there was serious risk of war, as the British Admiral in Hie ’Mediterranean made arrangements : (1) -o occupy Mitylenc, Lemnos, Tin liros, Sanmthraoe, and Thasos; (2) Rhodes and Chois; and (3) to stop all Turkish - transports in the Mediterranean outside the limits of the Suez Canal. It was on thfe same occasion that plans for the attack on the Dardanelles were considered by the Committee of Imperial Defence and declared impossible. But to that fact the documents here pubished do not allude. AEHRENTHA!,’S INTRIGUES. On the Continent affairs were embroiled by the turbulent and intriguing character of Aehrenthal, the Austrian Foreign Minister, and by his hostility to Iswolsky, the Russian Foreign Minister. Iswolsky had a good deal to do with securing King Edward’s visit to the Czar at Reval in 1908... On the way thither (we read) — “’Hie smart appearance of the whole of the German North Sea Fleet lying at anchor in the port (of Kiel) gave food for reflection upon the recent German naval programme of construction, while the intricate evolutions of the torpedo flotilla, which excited the admiration of all the naval officers on board the royal yacht, served as a useful object-lesson of the efficiency oi the German Navy. What happened in this Reval visit was already known from many sources, and nothing fresh is disclosed here. But we are told—- “ Some of the members of the (Russian Emperor’s suite commented upon the marked difference in the Emperor’s spirits and attitude dining the King’s visit to Reval compared to what they were at the Emperor’s recent visit to [the Kaiser at] Swineiuunde, where he felt anxiety all tin* time as to what might he unexpectedly sprung upon him.” In the light of the information contained in these documents it seems certain that Aehrenthal twice at least duped Iswolsky—no doubt with the more satisfaction because Iswolsky was a member of a Liberal Government in Russia and Aehrenthal was an extreme reactionary. He also lied freely to the British Government and threatened it To the British Ambassador at Vienna in December 1908 lie — “Talked in a vague manner of the' meeting at Reval as an Austrian grievance against Great Britain. ... He attributed the revolution at Constantinople—the beginning oi the present troubles—to the royal interview. . . . I am afraid (added the Ambassador) that in governing circles here there is a very marked ill-will against us and much suspicion of our policy.” The situation was complicated by Aelirentlial’s jealousy of Sir Edward Grey, “ because you have-succeeded in acquiring if or England a preponderating position in deciding Balkan affairs.” PUZZLING GERMAN ATTITUDE. At this date Austria was preparing for war with Serbia, and had been promised German assistance against Russia. The exact situation which produced the Great War was anticipated. Iswolsky was told by the German Chancellor, Prince Billow: “ That owing to the present grouping of the European Powers Germany would act with Austria in perlect and close solidarity on every question. Aehrenthal burst out in a passion of rage to the British Ambassador at Vienna, accusing England ol giving support to Serbia. “You people in England are incui ring a great responsibility; and the Russians too. The attitude of both Bowers has been anything hut friendly, and all I can-say is that if Russia wants war, she shall have it.” The German attitude puzzled tin* British Government-. The British Ambassador at Berlin wrote in .March, 1909: “ While one Minister of Foreign

Affairs is saying out* tiling, the other two or three may he holding quite different language. . . Last week there was a fine example of this, for while fc'rhoen (Foreign -Minister) was deploring to me Aehrenthal’s unmanageable character and the stiffness of his attitude, Kiderlen (Assistant Foreign Minister), in the very next room, was drafting the “ Norddoutseho ” 'communique . - • to stilfen Lhe people as there had (lie said) been far too much criticism in the Press and elsewhere with regard to Aelirenthal.” The Austrian plan was to move a large force into Serbia about March 29. 190!), after an ultimatum with a 21hours time-limit. A week before that action was taken, dermany struck at St. Petersburg. The British Ambassador there telegraphed on March 28, 15,00 : “M. Is wo I sky was in great alarm this afternoon, and 1 think some threats must have been made to him by the German Ambassador. . . His surrender to the German demand, which was peremptory, is so complete and sudden that I feel sure he has been rudely shaken. He will, I think, cede all along the line.” What really happened was that Hus sia was served with an ultimatum from Germany threatening immediate war. As Iswolsky said afterwards to the British Ambassador: “They (the German Powers) now consider that the moment had arrived for pushing Russia to the wall. The military preparations in Galicia were on a scale which was ominous, the immediate readiness of Germany 'for war was undoubted, and Russia was alone. France, even diplomatically, had supported Russia ‘ very feebly ”... while though Engand had been loyal throughout in her support, it wns limited to diplomatic support. . . There was no time for him to consult with Paris and London. Any delay would he misconstrued and might precipitate a catastrophe.” Russia, therefore, surrendered to the threat. That Germany was quite, ready to go to war appears from the words off Kiderlen and from the Kaiser’s comments on documents in the German Foreign Office papers. After Russia Great Britain was treated with a sudden utilmatum. On March 20, Metternich, the German Ambassador, asked whether England would follow Russia’s act in giving “ unconditional assent ” to the terms Austria wished to impose. Sir E. Grey then gave him a memorandum showing that “ the British Government are not disposed to give the assurance required,” whereupon: “The Ambassador remarked that this was a very grave decision which imperilled peace. . . . Count Mctter nicli impressed on me the grave position in which we should be when al the other Powers agreed to the Austrian request and we alone stood out. ... 1 said (Sir K. Grey speaks) I was not aware that they had all agreed yet. For the present 1 could not give any other answer.” v From Sir Sidney Leo’s biography of King Edward VII. it is known that Asquith at one informed the King of this threat and that the Cabinet endorsed Grey’s calm and firm attitude. Rut war had been within sight, at a time when the British public was being constantly assured by its politicians oi Germany’s friendship. There is a further mystery connected with this tremendous incident. The German Foreign Office secret documents, as published in what is generally known as the “Whitewash Book,” contain no instructions such as would justify Metternieh’s action. Yet it must have been carefully concerted.and arranged. Were tbo arrangements ordered and instructions given verbally, or are there vital documents which are missing from the “Whitewash Book”? IL is a point which ought at once to be cleared up.