EVE OF THE GREAT WAR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14448, 7 November 1917, Page 3

EVE OF THE GREAT WAR.

MR. GERARD'S STORY OF GERMAN BRUTALITY.

Mr. Gerard, late American Ambassador at Berlin, continues his narrative of events as follows: —

•On the 30th (of July. '1914) I had, a talk with Baron Bey'ens, Minister" of Belgium, and Jules Cambon, the French Ambassador, m the garden of the French Embassy m the afternoon. They both agreed that nothing could prevent war except the intervention of the United States/, Both Ambassador Cambon and Minister Beyens were very sad and depressed. After leaving them I met Sir Edward Goschen upon th«? street, and had a short conversation /with him. He also was very depressed. Acting on my own responsibility, I sent the following letter to the Chancellor :— Your Excellency, — Is there nothing that my country can do? Nothing that I can do toward stopping this dreadful war? , I am sure that the President wpuld approve any act of mine looking toward peace. — Yours ever.

(Signed) James W. Gerard; To this letter I never had any reply. On August 1, at 5 p.m., the order for mobilisation was given, and at 7.10 p.m.. war was declared by Germany on Russia, the Kaiser proclaiming from the balcony of the palace that "he knew, no parties more." .Of course during these days (i.e., those immediately preceding the declaration of war), the population of Berlin was greatly excited. Every night great crowds of people paraded the streets singing "Deutschland Ueber Alles" and demand"ing war. Extras, distributed free, were issued at frequent intervals by the newspapers, and there was a general feelinp among the-j-Germans' that their years of preparation would now bear fruit, that Germany would conquer the world and impose its "kultur" upon all nations. OUTRAGES ON AMBASSADOR. Oa August 2 I called m the morning to say goodrbye to the Russian Ambassador. His Embassy was filled with "mi-, fortunate Russians who had gone there to seek protection and help. Right and left men and women were weeping and the whole, atmosphere seemed that of despair. • . On trie day the Russian Ambassador left I sent him my automobile to take him to the station. Tlie chauffeur and footman reported to me that the police protection was inadequate, that the automobile was nearly overturned by thf crowd, and that men jumped on the running board and struck tho "Ambassador and the ladies with him m the face witli sticks. His train was due to leave a ' 1.15 pm. At about ten minutes of one. while I was standing m my room ir the Embassy surrounded by a. croiyd pf Amor.cans, Mrs. James, wife of the Senator from' Kentucky, and Mrs. Post Wheeler, wife of our secretary* to the Embassy m Japan, came tb me and said that they were anxious to get through to Japan via Siberia and did not know what to do.

I immediately scribbled a note to the Russian Ambassador, asking him to takr them on the train with him. This and the ladies I confided to the care of a red-headed page boy of the Embassy who spoke German. By some miracle he managed to- got them to the railroad station . before the Ambassador's train left, the Ambassador kindly agreeing to take them with him. His train, how ever, jnstead, of going to Russia, was headed for Denmark ; from there the two ladies', ctossed to Sweden, thence to England, and so home, it being perhaps as well for them that they did not have an opportunity to attempt the Siberian ic-urney during this period of mobilisation. ■ .'■•-.,

• . The Russian Ambassador reciprocated by confiding to ray care a Russian princess, who had intended to go out with him, but who, intimidated perhaps*-' by the scenes on the way to the station, had lost her nerve at " - railway? station, and refused to depart withL the Ambassador. She remained for a while m Berlin and after some weeks recovered sufficient courage to make the trip to Denmark,