THE KING’S WARNING

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 365, 5 March 1932, Page 1

THE KING’S WARNING

Told Mr Churchill of Coming War. GERMANY PREPARING IN 1911. United Press Assn.—By Blectrlc Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 4. The first warning letter from King George to Mr Winston Churchill defining Germany’s warlike intentions comprises one of the most remarkable papers in the seventh volume of British documents on the origins ’of the war. It deals principally with the Agadir crisis, recalling that Europe was then on the brink of conflict, proving that the elements leading to the explosion in 1914 had existed for years, and were only awaiting detonation.

The King’s letter is dated October 25, 1911, and was written by his private secretary, Lord Stamfordham, as folknow that yesterday he heard from a relation recently in Berlin that Admiral von Tirpitz said that when the Agadir crisis reached an acute stage Germany would have gone to war with England, but that the fleet was not ready yet, and would not be until 1915, when the Elbe Canal was finished to enable the passage of the largest ships, and when also there would be dreadnoughts and mines sufficient to deal with any power.” Admiral von Tirpitz added that if war came now the German fleet would be smashed, without advantage to Germany. The King’s informant added: “ That’s the reason why Germany gave

Germany’s ex-Kaiser is also prominent in the documents, chiefly as a source of anxiety to his Ministers in Germany and other countries, through the vagaries of his temperament.