Untitled

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16504, 4 August 1919, Page 2

August I, 191-f, five years ago to-day, was perhaps tho most important day in the history of the British Empire, for from midnight on that fateful Tuesday Britain was at war with Germany. It is difficult now lo recover the stale of mind which prevailed then. In the past 20 years there had been many rumours of wars and many minor wars had taken place, but, in spite of the warnings of those who knew tho ambitious of Germany and her careful preparations for war, most people regarded tile predictions of a great European war as little more wortny of credence than those, which at times have considerable vogue, of tho coming end of the world. On June 28, 1914, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to tho Austrian throne, was murdered at Sarajevo. The Serbian Government was accused of in the act, but the incident seemed passing without serious consequences, .when nearly u month later, on July 23,'Austria sent an ultimatum to .Serbia which was obviously intended to provoke war. Serbia yielded to most of the demands, but asked for arbitration on one or two of tho most serious. This was refused, and for some days Sir Edward Grey endeavoured vainly to induce Germany and Austria to discuss the questions at issue so as to localise the dispute. Germany played with the proposals for a time in. order to complete her preparations. Then, on Saturday, August 1, she declared war on Russia, and her patrols entered France. The same day King Albert of Belgium appealed to Britain for help to resist an expected invasion, and on Monday, August 3, Sir Edward Grey made a statement on the position to the House of Commons. The next day tho British Ambassador informed the German Government that if the German armies entered Belgium Britain would fight. Sir Edward Coschen was immediately given his passports and Britain was at war. Looking back on that period we feel that no other action could have been taken. AA’e did not then realise how heavy tho cost would be, but with full knowledge we must now admit that Britain was right in taking up the challenge, and sharing in the *task of defeating German ambitions.