Find in Piano

Levin Daily Chronicle, 15 February 1917, Page 2

Find in Piano

"iO'i; WILL AOKXOWLEDG'JE KAISER," (Sydney Sun.)

Some l ©ill art able and particularly, interesting tacts have been disclosed relative to Germany's premeditated participation in the war by a discovery made during the week in one lot off a big consignment cf German goods, ordered before the war, which has arrived at Sydney.

Early In 1914 a Sydney.- music warehouse ordered 1 a number of pianos from' a prominent maker in Germany. The instruments were paid for byi the firm in July of the same year ,and despatched for shipment to Australia. The boat carrying them, of course, was of German ownership. Just about the time cf the declaration «if war between England and Germany the vessel was sailing down the eastern coast of Africa, itlie was one of 'England's first navy prizes, and' was interned in a harbour cf Portuguese East Africa. When Portugal declared war on Germany, the former country courteously took charge of the ship's cargo and re-sliipped it to its consignees.

When the cargo was discharged at Sidney and delivery taken of the Gcr. iNi.il pianos a piece of white paper was. found, on which was written in ink:--By the time this reaches you, England will be at war with 'Germany, and you will have to acknowledge the Kaiser as your ruler She will first attack France, then Russia, and in five years time the United States. That the paper and the writing, on it is of German origin is, it is stated by a prominent membter of the firm, indisputable. From the time when the pianos left the .'hands of their manufacturers up till that, when they were opened in Sydney it is certain that they were not in any way tampered with, lliey svere cased securely ,as thousands of other pianos of the same name from the same maker which were ordered during past and pre-war years by the Sydney company, and sold throughout the Commonwealth.

It is calculated that this new proof that Germany was the aggressor in the European war was written early in June of 1914, two months prior to the outbreak of hostilities. When it is considered that the factory of the piano manufacturer in this case is situated in the heart of the Black For. est, in the interior of Germany, it is obvious that practically all Germans knew- of the war long before it was officially declared.