FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1917, Page 6

FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR.

KAISER TO PRESIDENT, •- . MENDACIOUS TELEGRAM. By the courtesy of the Daily Telegraph, wo are enabled to publish the text of a telegram sent by the German Emperor to President Wilson on August 10, 1914, in regard to the outbreak of war. This telegram was written by the Emperor himself in the presence of Mr. Oerard, the United States Ambassador to Germany, and wag handed to him for transmission to the President. The text of the telegram and the description of the circumstances in which it was written form parti of the first chapter of Mr. Gerard's book on the'Tirst Days of the War."

In regard to the statements made in the first part of the Emperor's telegram the following official denial was received: With reference to a telegram sent by the German Emperor to President Wilson on August 10, 1914, we have the highest authority to declare that the statements alleged by the Emperor to have been made to Prince Henry of Prussia by his Majesty the King are absolutely without any foundation.

We append Mr. Gerard's statement and the text of the telegram:—

At the commencement of the great war I was for some days cut off from communication with the United States, but we s oon established chain communication, at first through Italy, and later by way of Denmark. At all times cables from Washington to Berlin, or vice versa, took on an average two days in transmission. After the fall of Liege Herr von Jagow sent for me, and asked me whether I would transmit, through the American Legation, a proposition offering Belgium peace and an indemnity if no further opposition were made to the passage of German troops through Belgium. As the proposition was a proposition for peace I took the responsibility of forwarding it, and sent the Note of the German Government to onr Minister at The Hague, for transmission to our Minister in Belgium. Dr. Van Dyke, our Minister at The Hague, refused to have anything to do with the transmission of this proposition, and turned the German Note over to the Holland Minister of Foreign Affairs, and through this channel the proposition reached the Belgian Government. The State Department cabled me a message from the President to the Emperor, which stated that the United States stood ready at any time to mediate between the warring Powers, and directed me to present this /proposition direct to the Emperor. I therefore asked for an audience with the Emperor, and received word from the Chief Court Marshal that the Emperor would receive me at the Palace in Berlin on the morning of August 10. I found the Emperor seated at a green iron table, under a large canvas garden umbrella. Telegraph forms were scattered on the table in front of him, and basking on the gravel were two small dachshunds. I explained to the Emperor the object of my visit, and we had a general conversation about the war and the state of affairs. The Emperor took some of the large telegraph blanks and wrote in pencil his reply to the President's offer. This reply, of course, I cabled immediately to the State Department. The document is presented below in text form:—

For the President of the United States personally.

10/8/14. 1. H.Tt.H. Prince Henry was received by his Majesty King George V in London, who empowered him to transmit to me verbally that England would Bemain neutral if war broke out on the Continent involving Germany and France, Austria and Russia. This message was telegraphed to me by my brother from London after his conversation with H.M. the King, and was repeated verbally on July 29. 2. My Ambassador in London transmitted a message from Sir E. Grey to Berlin, saying that only in ease France was likely to be crushed England would interfere. 3. On the 30th my Ambassador in London reported that Sir Edward Grey, in the course of a "private" conversation, told him that if the conflict remained localised between Russia —not Serbia—and Austria, England would not move, but if we mixed in the fray she would take quick decisions and grave measures, i.e., if I left my ally in the lurch to fight alone, England would not touch me. 4. This communication being directly counterJo the King's message to me, I telegraphed to H.M. on the 29th or 30th thanking him for his kind messages through my brother, and begging him to rise all his power to keep France and Russia, his Allies, from making any warlike preparations calculated to disturb my work of mediation, stating that I was in constant communication with H.M. the Tsar. In the evening the King kindly answered that he lrad ordered his Government to use every possible influence with his Allies to refrain from taking any provocative measures. At the same time H.M. asked me if I would transmit to A'ienna the British proposal that Austria was to take Belgrade and a few other Serbian towns/ind a strip of country, as a "main mise" to make sure that the other Serbian promises on paper should be fulfilled in reality. This proposal was in the same moment telegraphed to me from A 7 ienna for London, quite in conjunction with the British proposal.' Besides, I had telegraphed to H.M. the Tsar the same, as an idea of mine, before I received the two communication from Vienna and London, as both were of the same opinion. 5. I immediately transmitted the telegrame vice, versa, Vienna and London. I felt that I was able to tide the question over and was happy in the peaceful outlook.

(i. While I was preparing a note to H.M. the Czar the next morning, to inform him that A 7 ienna, London and Berlin were agreed about the treatment of affairs, I received the telephones from H.E. the Chancellor that in the night before the Czar had given the order to mobilise the whole of the Russian army, which was, of course, also meant against Germany, whereas, up till then, the southern armies had been mobilised against Austria. 7. In a telegram from London my Ambassador informed me he understood the British Government would guarantee the neutrality of France and wished to know whether Germany would refrain from attack. I telegraphed to his Majesty th» King personally that mobilisation being already carried out could not be stopped, but if H.M. could guarantee with his urmed forces the neutrality of France I would refrain from attacking her, leave her alone, and employ my troops elsewhere. H.M. answered that he thought my offer was based on a misunderstanding, and. m far as I ow aak« out. Sit

E. Grey never took my offer into serious consideration. He never answered it. Instead, he declared that England had to defend Belgian neutrality, which had to be violated by Germany on strategical grounds, news having been received that France was already preparing io enter Belgium, and the King of the Belgians having refused my petition for a free passage under the guarantee of his country's freedom. I am most grateful for the President's message. (Signed) WILLIAM, I.E.

Mr. Gerard considers that the foregoing letter, differing as it does from previous official German accounts of the beginning of the war, will be regarded by future historians as a unique document. One correction made by the Kaiser's own hand is especially significant, ft substitutes the word news for knowledge in the sentence admitting the violation of Belgian neutrality "on strategic grounds." The Emperor evidently thought that the use of the word "knowledge" to characterise the German fiction of an impending attack by France on Belgium would impose, an excessive strain on Mr. Wilson's credulity. In connection with Mr. Gerard's revelation, interest attaches to the Tollowing passage which appears in The Times of August 27, 1014. at the head of a summary of telegrams which had been published by the North German Gazette oil August 20:

It appears that on July 30 (1014) Prince Henry of Prussia, who had just returned from England, sent a long telegram to King George. It should be observed parenthetically that on the previous evening Prince Henry had attended the AA'ar Council at 'Potsdam, immediately after which the Imperial Chancellor made his "infamous proposal" to the British Ambassador. Prince Henry, who had evidently carried a personal message from King George to the Emperor William, informed the King that "AVilliam, who is very anxious, is doing his uttermost to meet the request of Nicholas that he should work for the maintenance of peace." Prince Henry asked the King to use his influence with France and Russia in order that they might remain neutral. The King replied that the British Government was doing everything it could to induce Russia and France to postpone further military opera-, tions. if Austria would be content with the occupation of Belgrade and the

neighboring territory as pledges for a satisfactory settlement of her demands against Servia. The King said he counted upon the Emperor .. illiain to use his great influence with Austria for the acceptance of his pro. posal. The statement that Prince Henry of Prussia "had evidently carried a personal message from King George to the Emperor William" was based on the first paragraph of -Prince Henry's telegram of July 30.t0 King George, which was as follows: i. ■ ' I have been here (in Berlin) since yesterday, and have informed William • of .what you so kindly said to me at Buckingham Palace last Sunday. William received Your message gratefully.

In the light of the official denial now issued, it is clear that the German Emperor garbled, in telegraphing to President Wilson, a verbal message given by King George to Prince Henry of Prussia.