ECHO OF GREAT WAR

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1932, Page 5

ECHO OF GREAT WAR

GERMAN INTENTIONS. TIRPTTZ WANTED WAR. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyrigl it.) LONDON, March. 4. The first warning letter from King George to Mr Winston Churchill (then First Lord of the Admiralty) defining Germany’s warlike intentions, comprises one of the most remarkable papers in the seventh volume of British documents on the origins of the 1 war.

Dealing principa’l.v with the Agadir crisis, aid recalling that Europe was then on the brink of a conflict, and proving tlie elements leading up to the explosion in 1914 had existed years awaiting detonation, the King’s letter dated October 25, 1911, written by Lord Stamford, says: “The King wislies to let you know that yesterday he heard from a relation recently in Britain that Admiral Tirpiiz has said that when the Agadir crisis reached an acute stage, Germany would have gone to war with England, hut the Fleet was not ready yet, and woudn’t be until 1915, when the Elbe Canal would be finished to enable the passage of tiie largest ships to be made, when also there would be sufficient dreadnoughts atid mines to deal with any Power.”

Admiral Tirpitz added that if Wat came now, the German Fleet would he smashed without any advantage to Germany, The King’s informant added “That’s the reason why Germany, gave in, and as can be seen, she shall be fighting in 1915.” Germany’s ex-Kaiser was also prominert in the documents, chofiy as a source of anxiety to his Ministers in Germany, and other countries, through the vagaries of his temperament.