WAR GUILT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21597, 15 September 1933, Page 15

WAR GUILT

Sir, —It is indeed surprising that such statements are - made at the League of Nations' % Union as those which were reported in your issue of September 9. To blame Russia and France for the Great War is the height of injustice. Everyone knows that the actual cause of the war was Austria's ambition to seize Serbia, as. she-had annexed Bosnia and' Herzegovina. However, she would never have dared declare war if she had not been assured of Germany's assistance. When Lord Grey offered to mediate, France and Russia readily accepted, but Germany refused. Germany invaded France without a declaration of war. France promised to respect the neutrality of Belgium. Germany, in this respect, as in that of the use of poison gas, of the deportation of civilian population, of the sinking of neutral ships, ignored all her previous engagements. Why should not the greatest prominence be given to the fact that the Kaiser treated a solemn written engagement as a "scrap of paper"? Should not the children be taught to regard such actions with the greatest contempt! What is Germany, a signatory of the Four Power Pact, doing now, but ignoring her engagement? Should the children not be taught that it is such actions that make armaments necessary? Nobody wants to perpetually carry a gun, but the aggressive dishonesty of .one's neighbour may compel one to do. so. It is Germany's dishonesty that should be pointed out as an object of scorn, not France's legitimate wish to protect herself. As for armaments previous to the Great War I recommend the reading of Colonel House's Memoirs. This perfectly unbiassed American observer, after visiting Europe, came back saying that Germany was "war-mad," was deliberately planning for the great catastrophe. The German writer Ludwig, in his books, leaves no doubt whatever that the Kaiser and his military "entourage" made the war inevitable, could have averted it, even at the eleventh hour—but did not. To blame any nation but Austria and Germany for the Great War is to show gross ignorance or a singularly biassed mind. Digger.