WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?

Evening Star, Issue 16987, 8 March 1919, Page 10

WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?

THE " WASN'T ME'S." The ex-Crown Prince, in what may bo called the. advance proof of his defence for his trial, seems to have omitted only one thing (says a writer in the London 'Daily Chronicle'). He has not told us who did initiate the war policy. He is certain that it was not himself: he is nearly as certain that it was not his father. It certainly was not Ludendorff, who had not emerged into importance in 1914. As certainly it ws not Ilindenburg, who was tranquilly drinking his beer in his North Germa.ii cafe, and growling over the Kaisers ideas of manoeuvres strategy. Bethmann-Hollweg is sure that it was not he. Who remains ? Shall we eventually have served up to us the name of some departed villain of whom the world has never heard as tho real instigator of the Great War? Who killed Cock Robin? is nothing to it. "It wasn't mo!" said William, when they charged him with the crime. "As anyone will tell you, 1 was absent at tho time. And ere "I went, my Ministers I beckoned to advance, aud said to them : ' For goodness* sake, don't interfere with France!' And when I heard poor Belgium had been dragged into tho etrife I never was so horrified in all my humble life ! I hurried back to Potsdam, and I cried : 'This mustn't be':' And so, as you will readily perceive, it wasn't me !" " It wasn't me!" tho Crown Prince said. "The mischief was begun -while. I was by our silver sea, and basking in our sun. I didn't want to fight, but had' to do as I was bid—which was to lead an army and to see that others did. To show how verylittle for tho fight 1 was inclined, I always led my men from a position miles behind. I argued that the air raids wero absurd to a degree, and drowning! children silly. So you sen it wasn't me!" "It wasn't me!" said Hindonburg. "As I have said before, there's nothing I detest so much as things to do with wnr._ My mother always told me that the object of my birth was all to do with fostering a scheme of Peace on Earth! To understand how thoroughly those leanings [ possess, you've only go to ponder on my portraits' in tho Press. I've frequently been taken for an angel. So you see, the Kaiser was the Criminal-in-Ghief; it wasn't me !" "It wasn't me!" said Ludendorff. " Tho day I beard the plot I tried to get exemption as a ' ccnchie 'on the spot; but Fate upon my shoulder laid a military hand, and, rounding up a lot of men, sho put me in command. "Reluctantly T. led thorn at the earnest wish of Fate, but said I'd have, them punished if they sang the Hymn of Hate. I bade them sing a song of Love in Emtio sweet minor key—a song entitled ' Kamerad '; and so it wasn't me!" "It wasn't me!" said TirpiU "Every U boat, as yon know, I asked should be n. dummy, just to make a bit of show 1" "It wasn't" me !" said Rupprechi. " I can evidence produce that when they mentioned gas shells I objected to their use!" "It wasn't me," said Schneidernann and Hollwag in a. breath. " I absolutely hated sending millions to their death. With every move the Kaiser named I begged to disagree. I knew that Right must conquer Alight! ... It clearly wasn't me!" '