THE CAUSE OF THE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 71, 24 March 1915, Page 4

THE CAUSE OF THE WAR.

Sir Edward Grey has done well to draw t"ie attention of the civilised world once more to the indisputable' fact that the moral responsibility for this terrible war rests upon Germany and upon her alone. Even when the ptresßure of international aomplications had irandrared a conflict imminent, it would have been easy to adljust international differences by means of a Conference of the Powers precisely as was done in 1913, .vhou the Balkan crisis, involving very grave difficulties, was peacefully settled. But we should go back further than tfeis to recall what Mr. Asquith and Sir Edward Grey have already told us, lliat England had previously given Germany a positive assurance not to cntor into any scheme of aggression directed against her by any Power or combination of Powers. Yet ihe Germans wanted more than v this; — they demanded from England an unconditional promise of .neutrality, no matter what plan of military brigandage or spoliation tbey mrgiht undertake, and because England declined to accede to this outrageous proposal, the Germans now assert thai she is in "reality r«ponsible for the war. Even before the war broke out, tit was evident that the situation had' been- carefully engineered by Germany, and that the murder of the Austrian Archduke mas merely a, pretext seized upon by the Teutonic militarists ifor carrying out a Jong-premeditated plan. On this point we must not forget that we have the unimpeachable testimony of one of the leading Continental statesmen, Signor Giolitti, the Italian Premier, who in December last publicly declared that. Austria approached the Italian and German Governments in August, 1913, announcing that she intended to attack -Sema^awJ.

asking them to assist in this nefarious scheme. Italy, replied that as this would be a war of aggression she could not admit that it entailed any obligation on , her, in terms of the Triple Alliance, j which k purely a defensive compact. But | this is proof positive that Austria, with j Germany's knowledge, actually orga- j nised an attack upon Servia a year before the Archduke was assassinated. Apart from this, there is ample evidence to show not only ! that Germany sympathised with Austria, in her attack on Servia, but that the German Government, in spite of its denials, was really acting" in collusion with the Austrians , throughout. Dr. Holland Rose, in his , recent work on "The Origins of the War," points out that though the Austrian Note to Servia ' was not dispatched till July 23, the Ger- ; man Ambassador in London handed to Sir Edward Grey a Note approving . Austria's action the very next day. The . .Italian Government knew all about the 1 Austrian Note by July 23rd; and on that [• date the Bavarian Prime Minister stated . that he knew the terms of the Note. It , is, therefore, ridiculous to suggest that Vienna had kept Berlin in ignorance of ! a matter of such vital importance. The '.' German Ambassador at Vienna said on . July 26th that Germany "knew very , well what she was about in backing up ' Aiietria-Hungary," and the British Ambassador at Vienna states that he had ■ reason to believe that the terms of the - Note were previously telegraphed to l the Kaiser. Altogether, it is as eer- . tain as circumstantial evidence can make it that German}- knew all about the Austrian Note; and it is equally certain ' that the Kaiser could, by a word, have i restrained the Austrian Government if , he had chosen, or induced it to agree to ' a little delay. But in spite of all Sir '. Edward Grey's efforts, the Kaiser ■ could not be induced to speak; that t word was never uttered, and this alone is enough to fasten upon Germany and ' its ruler the full moral responsibility for the war.