ORIGIN OF THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1742, 31 July 1917, Page 3

ORIGIN OF THE WAR.

GERMAN DUPLICITY. London, July 29. The recent political quarrels in Germany have brought out an important disclosure, enabling an unimpeachable Times correspondent to bring to light startling facts as to how Germany plunged the world into war. The information is based on a public report of a speech made by Herr Hugo Haase in the Reichstag last week, in which he referred to a meeting held on sth July, 1914, as one of the matters which needed to be explained before the origin of the war is Anally understood. The correspondent says; “I have il, on authority which it is impossible to doubt, that a meeting was held at Potsdam at which the Kaiser, Herr Bethmann-Tlollweg, Admiral von Tirpilz, General von Falkenhayn, Herr Wilhelm von Stmnm, Archduke Frederick, and FieldMarshal Konrad von Holtvendorf (Chief of the Austrian General Slaft) were present. Yon Jagow (Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1911) and Yon MoKke '(Chief of General Staff in 1914) were not pi’Osenl. “The meeting discussed and decided the principal points of the Austrian ulitmatum to be despatched to Servia eighteen days later. It also recognised that Russia would probably refuse to submit to such direct humiliation, and that war would result. That consequence the meeting definitely decided lb accept. The Kaiser then wont to Norway, with the object of throwing dust in the eyes of the French and Russian Governments.

“Three weeks later, when it was known that. England was not remaining neutral, 'Herr BcthmannHollwcg wished to withdraw, hut it was too late, the decision of sth July being crucial and irrevocable.

It is certain (hat most of Herr Haase’s hearers were fully aware of (he meaning of his reference to the fatal dale. The subject appears to have been more fully and explicitly raised at a secret meeting of the Budget Committee of the Reichstag eight weeks ago by a Socialist, who challenged a certain Alinister to deny (be fa els. The Alinister declined to make any statement, and the incident created an immense sensation.

“The fnet that Herr Hanso has now raised the matter in public appears to indicate that he and his friends consider the time has come to bring the full truth to light.” A former Berlin correspondent of The Times, commenting on the disclosure. says: ‘’Von Jagow repeatedly denied that lie was aware of the contents of (lie Austrian ultimatum before it was published. He pledged me his word to this effect. The fact that Von Atoltke, then chief of the General Staff, was excluded from the plot sheds fresh light on his career. He was suspended after his lirst failures in the campaign in France. Before Ids death he said that some day (here would bo disclosures about the early stages of the war.” 'fhe Times says it is impossible to exaggerate the gravity of the dislosuros, and challenges Germany to provide a denial by publishing the diplomatic correspondence between Berlin and Vienna.

[Herr Hugo Haase is the nominal leader (President) of the Social .Democratic Parly (according to Frederick William Wile in “Who’s Who in Hunland"), succeeding the late August Bebel in that position, Jl fell to his lot in the celebrated War Session id.' the German Parliament on 4th August, 1914, when the Chancellor acknowledged Germany, s wrong-doing in Belgium, to pledge Social Democracy’s support of the initial war credits. It has since developed that the Government bargained for Socialist support of the war under false pretences, having given the parly to understand that the impending struggle was “for defence.” That Socialism has meantime become undeceived was amply proved by the revolt, led by Herr Haase himself, against further unlimited war credits, on the ground that the war was now revealed to ail the world as a war of conquest and annexation. On 9th December, 1915, Herr Haase declared in the Reichstag, “We want peace!’’ Then he asserted that the “overwhelming majority of the German people” were opposed to the continuance of the wav on the lines laid down by the Imperial Chancellor.]