THE KAISER AND HIS SON

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5727, 2 October 1914, Page 4

THE KAISER AND HIS SON

A FRENCH VIEW OF Till CAUSE OF VVAK.

The causes leading up to tho war fever in Germany are set out in a masterly article in the Paris journal Figaro by M. Charles Bonnefon, tor many years Berlin correspondent of that journal. M. Bonnefon points to the growth of the large towns in Getmany as rxereising an enervating influence on the people, while the country has been so depopulated that annually thousands of foreign labourers have to be engaged for the harvest.

"Seemingly at the apogee of her strength, in reality at the beginning of her decadence," says M. Bonnefon, "and knowing bettei than we the forces gnawing at her vitals, Germany wished to rejuvenate herself in a blood bath, conquer by force of arms the vanishing Russian market, snatch from France her fairest colonies, destroy the Socialist party at home, and utterly ruin the Triple Entente abroad. vVilliam 11., ageing before his time and discouraged, was surrounded by six sons, who were daily preaching war and the necessity to seize the favourable opportunity, egged on, excited, and tired with enthusiasm by a military entourage of'fervtd will and limited intelligence. "The crowned dilettante, who has ever toyed with too many things to possess any one wholly, hesitated as he always does, torn between his desire for glory and the fear of disaster impressed upon him by a mysterious prophecy. The Empress supported him for sentimental reasons and through hutror of war. This was the situation when the Emperor left for his holiday. In his absence and under the uncaring eye of an incapable Chancellor, who was, moreover, overwhelmed by domestic trouble, the war party prepared and started oil the tierman machine in the direction of war at full speed. "When the Emperor returned in hot haste, he found that the PanGermans, who were blindly egging on the Oown Prince, as arrogant as he is unintelligent, had almost accomplished their sorry task. The Emperor might yet have striven. He did not know how to, he did nut want to had he known, and this was his crime. lie floated aimlessly along, lending ear to all kinds of gossip about the defection of France from Russia and the activities of the Russian revolutionaries. " 'The moment is unique in our history,' was shouted at him from all sides. He believed it, doubtless from conviction or from lassitude, and he did not strain against war as he did two years ago."