25 YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 11

25 YEARS AGO

AUGUST 4, 1914

A FATEFUL ANNIVERSARY

WHEN THE CALL CAME

At the beginning of July twenty-five years ago life in England and on the Continent of Europe was going on in its usuabl peaceful way. The thought of general Avar was far removed from the vast majority of people composing the great nations: there had been peace for so long, that any other order of things Avas unthinkable. True it was that there were alarms and excursions in the Balkans, but there always were: Avhat did they, matter to the greater part of Europe? As July progressed, however, events took a sinister turn and there were! hints of serious troubles. developing—from a Balkan episode. Still the peoples of the great nations refused to . be unduly perturbed. ~ •

But with startling suddenness all was changed. War clouds gathered thickly with Austria's presentation of an ultimatum to Serbia. The Great Powers began mobilising, but even then it Avas believed that trouble would be averted. Events, however, moved with great rapidity. Declarations of war culminated on August 4 in that of Great Britain against Germany,- the latter having violated the neutrality of Belgium in an attempt to overwhelm France at the outset.

The assassination of the Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand, which was the material event from which catastrophe grew, took place at Sarajevo, Serbia, on June 28. For nearly a month there was an interchange of "Notes" and much talk.. On July 23 Austria delivered an impossible ultimatum to Serbia, and finally declared war on her on July 28. Russia, meantime, had made it plain that she intended to support Serbia, and Germany that she would stand-by. Austria. On August 1 Germany declared war against Russia, and two days later against France. Although Britain declared war against Germany on August 4, Germany meanwhile having invaded Belgium without any declaration of war because it was the shortest route by which to. attack France, she did not declare -war against Austria until August 12. France had done so two- days earlier. Japan entered the lists on August 23 with a declaration of war against Germany. ■ Tvn-key became Britain's foe on November 5. Italy did not join the Allies until May, 1915,- at first declaring war only against Austria and Turkey. In October, 1915, Britain, France, and Italy declared war against Bulgaria, and Rumania came, into the picture inthe following- August as the enemy of Austria, Germany, and Turkey. So 25 years ago tomorrow Great Britain was involved ih what has come to be known as the.Great War. In the intervening quarter of a century there has grown up a generation to whom the horrors and suffering of ..that conflict are but hearsay: were it otherwise, perhaps there would be less chance of .another . and even worse clash between, the.world's nations.

It. was on August 5 that Lord Liverpool, the Governor-General,. read the Proclamation of War to a large crowd assembled in Wellington. The Dominion at once and readily ansAvered the call. The flower of her manhood went overseas during the next four years, and some 17,000 laid, down their lives-— a small number ■ compared. with the losses of other nations who fought, but a large number when the country's population is taken into account. The bloodless adventure of taking Samoa from the Germans was their first active participation in hostilities, but later New Zealanders were to the fore in practically every theatre of the War, the heroic failure at Gallipoli being what receives chief commemoration as the years roll by. -And now, in the present state of world unrest, the question all too readily arises as to Avhether the great sacrifice of 25 years ago was all in vain. Was it not "a war to make the world safe for democracy." "a war to end wars"?' ' ■'.' '