CAUSE OF THE WAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 68, 10 August 1914, Page 5

CAUSE OF THE WAR

WHY BRITAIN" WEST TO WAR. j I I THE ANGLO-GERMAN NEGO- j TIATIONS. * _ I THE POINT OF DEADLOCK. I London. Augnst 6. A White Paper containing Sir E, <;rcj-'s correspondence with the European Powers has been issued. Britain's active participation started , < a July 28 with a suggestion for a conference to avert the Austro-Servian j struggle. Germany struck a discordant i not on the 27th by liking the conference to a court of arbitration, and refund t > ■ entertain it. Sir W. in a conversation with the German Secreta r y of ■ State, learned that if Russia onh mobi!- . feed in the South, Germany would not i mobilise, but if Russia mobilised in th.; ! North, Germany would have to do -o. The Secretary added, "Hut as the Ku=- . lian system is so complicated it mig.it be difficult to locate her mobilisation. Germany will therefore have to be care- i ful not to be taken In- surprise. ' On the 28th, Herr Von BethmannHollweg told Sir W. Goscnen, that war . between the great Powers must be j avoided and thereupon the whole choice . of methods to put mediation in operation was placed in Germany's hands, if only Germany would press the button in the interests of peace. On the 29th, Herr Von Bethmann-lloil-weg, after a visit to Potsdam, told Sir W. Goschen that if Russia attacked u!ie would aid Austria, and a European eon- : Aagration might become inevitable, ow- I ing to Germany's obligation- to h--r ally. J Herr Von Bcthmann-Hoihv.w ihen pro- j ceeded that Germany had the promise , of Britain's neutrality Bir E. Grey informed Sir W. Goschen that he had suggested to Count LicanoWßky, the German Ambassador, that if Germany could put forward a proposal j which would make it clear that Germany and Austria were strong to preserve ! peace and that Russia and France would i be unreasonable if they rejected the ot- I fer, Sir E. Grey would support the pro- ! posal at St. Petersburg and Paris. Tf ' France and Russia did not accept it Britain would have nothing further to do ] with the consequcncrs, but otherwise, if I France became involved, we should be | drawn in. j

Sir W. Goschen, the same day, informed Sir E. Grey that the German Government had received word of the Russian mobilisation and had followed suit. After that came the violation of Belgian territory. Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg said it was clear that Britain would not stand by and allow France to be crushed in any conflict with Germany, iiowever, lie did not aim at that and, provided British neutrality was certain, no territorial acquisition at France's expense, if Germany was victorious, would en;:>e.

Sir W. Goschen a-ked about the French colonics, and Herr von Beth-mann-Hollweg replied that he whs unable to give a similar undertaking in that respect. They would respect Holland's integrity and neutrality, but it depended on France what operations Germany might he forced to in regard to Belgium. Herr von Bethmann-Holl-weg trusted that these assurances would form the basis of an Anglo-German understanding. He much desired a neutrality agreement with England, though it was much too early to discuss details.

Replying to Herr von Bethmanu-Holl-weg"9 • inquiry as to how the proposal would be likely to appeal to Sir K. Grey, Sir W. Gosehen replied that he thought Sir E. Grcv would not care for him to express an opinion, but would retain his liberty.

,SPEECHES rN BRITISH PARLIAMENT. BRITAIN -HATH HER QrAKRET, .irST." London, AuLiNt 7. In the House of CommoiH Mr. Aquith, in the course of a spvu-fi «-king for a vote of £100,0!i«M"X>. -aid that none kmVbettrr than Mw.-ter- th.r terrible incalculable with war. "With that awiul nverpowring consciousness tliey have th.-.iipht it their dutv as well as in the interest; to go to war. He wvt pure the country would agree that they had unsheathed the sword in a. jost cause. (loud cheers). Thsr were tehtmg for the principle that gt&mcetoiia be placed in national good dtffajjiMyMilrt Bf fTpH (h » 'tr"g-

;to "iml troops, certainly two division!. ! Mr. Bonar Law, supporting Mr. A«- ' quith, said the wai' was due to human | folly end human wickedness, but nei- ' ttier the folly nor the wickedness lay ! upon England. It was Napoleon ov«r I again, but thank heaven, so far as we ; know there is no Napoleon, i Mr. Ponsonby, on behalf of the Radi- | cals, heartily supported, saying that all | stood shoulder to shoulder. | The hundred million vote aßd increase in the army were both adopted amid tremendous cheering. Received 5, 6.5 pjn. | London, August 7. | The Prime Minister (Mr. Asquit'ni continued:— Posterity would pay Sir TMward Grey the best tribute—that of a statesman wh<7, never derogating for an instant or an inch the honor and interests of 1 the country, hail striven as few had striven to secure universal peace. Proceeding, he commented on Herr von Bethmann-Ifollwcg's offer regarding the French colonies and '•mall States, and said that whereas an assurance was given regarding the independence and neutrality of Holland, no mention of J Belgium's neutrality had been made. Without seeking to inflame passions, and without seeking to incite feeling against Germany, he the (louse ; to consider what the proposals amounted to. They meant that, behind France's ■ back. German be given a free license to annex France's extra European possessions. What reply could we make ' to Belgium's appeal, which none could : read with an unmoved heart? The Belj gians were fighting gallantly, and sacri- : firing their lives. We would have been obliged to say that without Belgium'* kr. -.v ledge we had bartered away to the Power that was threatening her our ' obligation-; to keep our plighted word. Mr. As-juith added: "If you are asked uhat we art; lighting fur. you can sav, I.rstly, io fjilfil our .solemn international • obligation.-;-which, it entered between private, persons, would have been an i obligation of law and honor which no j telf-respeeting person could repudiate; ; secondly, we are fighting to vindicate the principle that small nations are not to be crushed, in defiance of international good faith, at the arbitrary will of a strong ! overmastering power." ° j The Government, he said, asked a fre.; I hand in spending a hundred millions, ; which would be applied not only to j military and naval operations, but to I assisting the food supply, and promotj ing a continuance of trade and industry. The House would agree that it was wise j to extend the ambit of the vote credit ;in this way. It would be a great disj aster if the Government were unable ; to make provision which was more necdI ed than under the simpler conditions of . former days for the ramifications of r\i penditure which a state of war bctweor : the Great Powers must entail, j After paying a tribute to the efforts j of India and the overseas dominions, Mr. , Aequith concluded: "It is not the purpose of any patriot to inflame a feeling .of excitement or animosity. The situaj tion is far too grave. We have a great | duty to perform, a great trust to fulfil. I I am confident that Parliament and the | country will enable us to do it." I Mr. Bonar Law said he was optimis- ( tic enough to believe that too gloomy | a view was taken regarding the effect lon our credit. Five-sixths of Britain's , production was employed in the home j trade, and the total exports to all bolligerer.ts did not exceed the exports to India and Australia. GERMANY'S DEEP LAID SCHEMES. RESERVES WERE WARNED WEEKS AGO. Buenos Avres. August 8. Germans have displayed little exoitetiicnt. showing that, they were warded j of their duty a month ago. | A German liner arrived on Saturday ; and brought extra guns, which were } transferred by night time lo other Ger- , man ships in port.