FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.

Shannon News, 6 August 1929, Page 4

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.

THE GREAT WAR AND ITa CAUSES. | NATIONAL AIMS AND ASPIRATIONS EXAMINED. REV. MR BECKETT'S W.E.A. LECTURE. The question of responsibility among the nations for the World War was dealt with by the Eev. Win. Beckett, in the third lecture in his series on "International Eolations," winch was delivered to the Levin W.E.A. class on Tuesday evening. A PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR. The spring of 1914-, said the lecturer, found men in all countries following their peaceful occupations. Those operations, which had been ouilt up by much saerfiee during long years, were suddenly broken into by the declaration of war. Already war was being waged by competition in trade and industries. ■ Germany was bidding hard for the .supreme place, and she had to decide. whether or not to develop into and maintain a world empire or to take a second place. The increasing scarcity of cheap labour and greater difficulty in emigration led to unrest and discontent, which regarded any change in the general situation —even one involving -war—as a happy deliverance. Therein lay the psychological root of war, particularly strong in Germany and Austro-Hungary, but less •felt in France and England. Germany feltj that she must square her account witll Europe if she was to have a free hand in carrying out her national policy. LIKE A BOLT FROM THE BLUE.

King George paid a ceremonial visit to Paris early in 1914, accompanied by his Foreign Minister, "Early Grey. All passed off pleasantly and seemed to augur well for the future. The Balkan cloud had disappeared, and the international sky seemed clearer than it had been for a long time. But Colonel House wrote, after a visit to Berlin in May, lyi4, "The whole of Germany is charged with electricity. Everybody's nerves are tense. It only needs a spark to set the whole thing off." The spark was struck at Serajevo on June 28th, and a month later the anticipated explosion duly occurred. Far from Austria being the pawn of her ally, the German Chancellor was dragged at the chariot-wheels of his Austrian colleague, who was determined to remove the Serbian menace and declined to be deflected from his path by. threats from Petrograd, warnings from London, or appeals from Berlin. The Austro-Serbiaii duel grew into the European conflict when, on July 30th-, the Tsar finally signed the degree for a general mobilisation, which was answered on July 31st by an ' ultimatum from Berlin demanding the cessation of mobilisation, and on August Ist by the declaration of war. Germany blamed Russia for precipitating the war, and demanded that she demobilise. When Russia refused, Germany felt that she was in a state of necessity and that necessity knew no law; the admitted wrong of occupying Belgian soil was to be repaired as soon as her military aim was achieved. SERBIAN AMBITIONS.

It was natural that Serbia should aspire to unite under her sceptre the discontented Jugo-Slav subjects of her neighbour ayd should look to Eussia for assistance. It was equally natural that Austria should fesolve to defend herself against the openly proclaimed ambition to rob her of provinces which she had held for centuries. After the Bosnian crisis, Serbia had promised to be a good neighbour, but she had not kept her Avord, and her intrigues with Eussia Avere notorious. To sit Avith folded arms and wait till her enemies felt strong enough to carry out their programme of dismemberment was to proclaim her impotence and iuvite disaster. The conduct of was no less shortsighted, but no less Intelligibki Austria had set her heart on abating the Serbian nuisance, and Austria AA r as the only power,, large or small, on whom Germany could rely, since Italy and Eoumania Avere allies in nothing but name. If Austria ceased to be a Great PoAver, through the loss of her southern provinces, Germany Avould stand alone in Europe, Avedged in betAveen a hostile Eussia and a France bent on revenge. A struggle betAveen Teuton and Slav Avas considered inevitable, and, if it vvas to come, the German General Staff preferred 1914 to a later date Avhen Eussia's strategic railways on the Polish frontier would be complete and the three-year serA'ice system in Prance Avould be in operation. The navy had not reached its full stature, but the deepening of the Kiel Canal Avas completed.' By 1914 Eussia had regained her self-confidence after the throAV-back she received from Japan.

THE RESPONSIBLE POWERS. The main cause of the conflict lay in the Near East, and its principal authors Avere Germany and Austria on the one side and Eussia and Serbia on the other. Of Belgium it Avas enough to say that her indignant response to the brutal attack upon her Avas the spontaneous affirmation of her Avill to maintain the independence Avhich she had never abused and to preserve unsullied the honour which Avas its surest guarantee. \ ATTITUDE OF THE ALLIES. It Avas as natural for Italy to stand out of the opening rounds of the conflict as for the five other great Poavers to take part; but if she stood aside all the time the Central Powers might Avin, and if they Avon she was doomed to feed for ever out of their hand. Thus Italy, like other belligerents, chose the course most clearly indicated by her traditions, her ambitions and her interests, and decided to play for the highest stakes. The course taken by Great Britain was* marked out with equal clearness. "My God, Mr Page, what

else could we do ?'' cried our King. The viplation of Belgian neutrality roused the country, to righteous anger, but it was the occasion rather than the cause of Britain's entry into the war. We had departed from our policy of splendid isolation, through many alliances. Had we stood aside at Armageddon, the Central Powers would- have won.an easy victory, and at th'e conclusion of the* contest we should have found ourselves alone in Europe. France and Russia would have scorned us as a false friend, and the German menace, intensified by the collapse of the Triple Entente, would have compelled us to arm to the teeth on sea and land. A large -party in Vienna desired war with Serbia and, if necessary, with Russia as well. When the news reached Vienna of the murder of the Archduke Francis, the feeling throughout Austria was that the country had light on its side and should have the sympathy of Europe. The world wnl presumably never be told all that was behind the murder of the heir, to the Austrian throne. THE AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM.

On July 23rd, three weeks after the assassination, Austria took Serbia by surprise with an ultimatum. It was so worded that Serbia could, -scarcely accept it. Nevertheless, Serbia did agree to all of Austria's hard conditions, with the exception of two points. Austria, however, wanted war. The ultimatum was not supported by any evidence of complicity of the Serbian authorities in the -murder, and it appeared that the assassins were Austrian subjects. The Austrian Minister left. Belgrade on July 25th,'and three days later Austria-Hungary loffieially declared war on Serbia. Russia refused to allow her to. attack in this way, and so the World War broke out.

ITALY'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE.

By her single-handed attack on Serbia, Austria had not only broken the terms of the Triple Alliance, Avhich had been renewed for six years on December sth, 1912, but she was interfering directly with Italy's sphere of influence on the eastern shores of the Adriatic. Italy refused Francis Joseph when he asked for aid in accordance with the <terms of the Triple Alliance, and simply declared her neutrality. Austria had constantly been interfering with Serbia, and decided to attack her in order to reduce the country to impotency once and for all. She planned to act in unison with Italy, but the Italian Government refused to co-oper-ate, , so Austria, could only count on Germany's support. It was generally believed that the military power in Germany chose the time and precipitated the war; but that was not the real and final account of its origin. Germany was said to be divided into a pacific majority and a bellicose minority; the deciding factor was the military one. Germany was bound to try to prevent the forcible dissolution of her only trustworthy ally. France and England were compelled to honour their treaty obligations. Though the conduct of each of the belligerents appeared to its enemies to indicate a double dose of original sin, it was in every case what might have been expected.

BRITAIN'S .CAREFUL DECISION.

The policy of Great Britain had been one of friendship. Eecqgnising the horror of Avar in which all share—Arictors and conquered alike—the aim of our great statesmen Avas ever to ward off that threatened evil. They Avere never, in theory, adverse to the predominance .of a strong group in Europe Avhen it seemed to make for stability and peace. Earl Grey wrote of the feeling of agony of the hour Avheii tlie momentous decision Avas made on Monday, August 3rd, 1914: —

"It is getting dark, and the lamps are being lit in the space beloAV the Foreign Office. The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not sec them lit again in our lifetime."

FRANCE AGAINST THE WALL,

France, Avhen the shock.of war came, met it with all the desperate gallantry of a nation fighting for its life. She never sought Avar, but up to the last moment strove to avoid it. Eussia and the Tsar certainly desired peace. No one who had a decisive word to speak in Eussia planned to provoke or make Avar. For Britain it Avas a choice between two evils. To abstain from war meant the certain do\ynfall of Belgium and France; to intervene meant the AA'idening of the conflict and the certainty that a European Avar AA'ould become' a Avorld war. From a business point of view it Avas better a thousand times to remain neutral. But Avhat if Germany Avon? Germany was proved to be one of the PoAvers Avhich could not be satisfied by concessions iand compromises. JAPAN JOINS IN.

On August 4th Britain declared Avar on Germany. On August 23rd Japan did the same, having issued an ultimatum demanding the evacuation of Kiao-chau. When this Avas refused she declared Avar, and on August 27th began the blockade. Japan finally took possession of Kiaochau on November 7th, 1914. Turkey and Bulgaria joined in Avith the Central PoAvers. Although Eoumania Avas Avith the Allies, her term of service Avas short. She Avas soon squashed, and her large stores of grain and oil Avere welcome additions to the fast-growing needs of the enemy. "Why are you so Avhole-soully in the war?" an intervieAver asked Lloyd George, when Prime Minister. "Belgium" Avas the reply; and he added that," if a poll had been taken on the Tuesday follo\A r ing the Saturday when the decision for Avar Avas made, there would have been a 99 per cent. \ r ote in favour of Avar.

QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY. The "sole responsibility" of Germany for the Avar, of which so much Avas heard in 1914-18, Avas noAv changed to "some responsibility"—a very different matter. President Wilson said, "Is there any man or woman who does not know that the seed of the

war is in the modern industrial and commercial rivalry?" The most righteous war could only be carried,on and kept going bv falsehoods. The Rev. Leyton Richards, in his book "The Christian Alternative to War," showed how, during the war, propaganda by legend was used in .-all belligerent countries to fan- hatred. DISILLUSIONMENT.

War brought all the world ideals >f a larger fraternity of man to the ground, and all their faith came tumbling down in rivers. People hud believed that human nature had reached a stage when it would refuse to go back to the old barbarities and wholesale slaughter on the fields of Europe, and that the common intelligence among civilised people had been lifted above the possibilities of such a genera] massacre as came to pass. War was waged on the misunderstanding th:it 'great gains ■ accrue t-o the victor; but long before the end of the war, the German peasants ami artisans abandoned the ideals cf mi.'itamm to which they had rallied in the early days. They called the war "The Great Swindle," and such it was. It was a swindle in every way; it ( did none of the fine things promised, and did good to-no-one; all suffered more or less severely. .It spread misery and distress, suffering and death, ■ broadcast over the world. England, in the four and a-half years of the war, spent as much as in two and a-half centuries before. In order to recover her national standing, excessive and exorbitant demands were made upon vanquished Germany. The population of Geimany were without adequate food, fuel and clothing in the depth of winter. Austria, with no money to buy food, or raw' material for her industries, was at a standstill, and thousands lived and died on charity. The whole of Central Europe wa3 in a fearful plight. The terms of th? peace were unnecessarily severe. This did not appear so at first, but it has been seen ever more clearly as the years passed on. The fragment of country now left to Austria, of which Vienna is the capital, has been a suppliant to the League of Nations, happily with success. Russia has had years of internal strife, bloodshedding, terror, and untold misery. Great. Britain, the victorious nation, has had years of commercial and industrial unrest, with huge armies of unemployed and excessive taxation. MAIN CAUSES SUMMARISED.

T4te Great War showed that the world was one economic organism, and that serious injury to one country meant disaster to the rest. In the preamble of the Locarno Pact (1925), drawn up between Germany, France and Great Britain, there was not the faintest eeho of the accusation of Germany's sole responsibility. The causes were farreaching and manifold.

The gigantic competition in armaments;

The industrial and commercial rivalry;

The fear, doubt and suspicion that filled men's hearts;, and, above all — The want of brotherly' love and mutual trust.