The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1917. THE FATEFUL POTSDAM PLOT.
[,ittle by little the true facts relating to the outbreak of war in 1914 are coming to light, and every item bearing upon this terrible event has an absorbing interest. The ostensible cause in well known, but there has hitherto been no little obscurity on several points which has prevented the real truth of the means adopted for precipitating the conflict from becoming known. The veil has now been lifted, thereby disclosing Germany's unscrupulous methods and characteristic cunning, as well as Iter failure to realise Britain's probable attitude. It will be remembered that Serbia was made the pivot 011 which hinged the fate of nations. The dispute between Austria-Hungary and Sorvia was one that could and should have been easily settled, and up to the hust moment hopes were entertained thai if it were not settled without recourse to hostilities, it might- be localised, as without doubt it would have been had not Germany a vast scheme of conquest ready to be launched. On July 27 the British Minister for Foreign Affairs anuour.ced his proposals for a conference i>f Germany, France, Italy and Britain and their acceptance by France and Italy, but on the following day Austria declared war on Servia and promptly commenced operations. It will also be remembered that a stumbling block to the Austrian succession, in the shape of a self-disinherited heir, who married outside of royalty, and whose wife ur»ed him to regain his inheritance, ha 1 been assassinated, the crime being laid at Servians door. That w : as the final straw, for although Servia had been foully provoked by Austria, there was no justification for hostilities except us a means to an end. The great factor was that the Central Powers were spoiling for war. They were thoroughly prepared, while their intended vicjlims were quite unready to ejitor upon even a short war. Again and again has the Ivaioer asserted that the war was forced on Germany and though the known facts completely disproved this wilful untruth, the nature of the arrangement existing at the time between Germany und Austria, and now revealed for the lirst time, places the origin of the outbreak and its ('(iuse beyond all question The German Government claimed to be I|uite free from tile responsibility of the Awt.;r:ai. ultimatum, and even to fie iglu.rjn. ... its purport, but the idea of j-ing allowed to involve Ger- ... „■ ar i$ too utterly absurd to
be for a moment entertained. It ifl, therefore, most interesting to learn of the fateful conference at Potsdam in July, JOl4, which was engineered and carried out with siieli consummate cunning that it was doubtless considered by the conspirators against the. world's peace that their tracks had been skilfully covered so as to hide their connection with the greatest crime in the world's history. It now transpires that the principal points of the Austrian ultimatum to Servia were actually drawn lip at this Potsdam conference, at which, he it noted, the Kaiser presided. This crafty and mendacious ruler, however, carefully laid his plans to throw dust in the eyes of France and Russia, and he accordingly promptly took himself off to Norway on a professed yachting expedition. Another astute move was to omit the German Foreign Minister from the conference so. as to enable him to assert his ignorance of any meeting having taken place, or of the business discussed, if the secret leaked out, and yet the German Government disclaimed all authority or responsibility for the Austrian ultimatum, which was couched in such terms as no self-respecting nation could tolerate. .'Herr Zimmermann, moreover, has admitted that Germany had a copy of the ultimatum sent to Servia fourteen hours before it was despatched. Servia was forced into war as the lover for bringing Kussia into a conflict, which the Germans considered would bo short, sharp and decisive and would pave the way for world domination. Carefully a* the Germans had prepared their chain they had overlooked two faulty links —opposition bly Belgium and the rousing of Britain to uphold Belgian neutrality, and for that carelessness Germany is being bled to death and the Continent deluged with blood and devastation by ruthless destruction. In the light of these facts, wlnit becomes of the Kaiser's reiterated assertions that the war was forced on Germany, who is now compelled to fight for her very existence? His treachery is revealed in all its hideous mendacity, barbaric punning and super cruelty, and it is this monster of evil that appeals for help to a higher power than any on earth. Can it be surprising, therefore, that the civilised nations are bent on prosecuting the war until the power of 'lermany for evil is crushed? It is rather an inspiration to greater efforts to rid the world of such an enemy of pence, and that is why there can be and must be a decisive victory.
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Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1917, Page 4
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822The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1917. THE FATEFUL POTSDAM PLOT. Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1917, Page 4
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