ORIGIN OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1919, Page 6

ORIGIN OF THE WAR.

COUNT BERCHTOLD BLAMED.

TRIBUTE TO 'SIR EDWARD GREY'S WORK.

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyriffht.

Vienna, Sept. 22,

Austrian Bed Books issued emphasise tlit! (.'lVorls made by Sir Edward (Jrey to prevent the wnr and the responsibility of (Jpunt Berchtold for the outbreak.

The Austrian Ambassador in London telegraphed to Count Berchtold ou Jvly 23, 1914, paying a tribute to Sir E. Grey's friendliness, but saying that Sir E. Grey was greatly concerned about the possible consequences of the ultimatum to Serbia.

Count Berchtold replied on July 23 that the shortness of the time granted to Serbia was due to Austria's long experience of Serbia's procrastination. •The Austrian Ambassador in Berlin, in a dispatch dated July 27, referring to the British mediation proposals, said that the German Government emphatically opposed the proposals and only forwarded them at the British request. Count Berchtold, in an urgent report to the Emperor Francis Joseph on July 28, said that the Entente would possibly still attempt to efl'ect a peaceable settlement of the conflict unless a definite situation was created by the declaration of war. He submitted with the report a declaration of war for the Emperor's signature, basing the request on reports that Serbian troops had fired on AustroHungarian soldiers at Teme6kubin. After the Emperor had signed the declaration Count Berchtold struck out the reference in it to the Serbian attack, and wrote to the Emperor saying that he had taken upon himself to eliminate the sentence, as the report was not eonfirmed.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.