Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-03-03 | Page 35 | Bare Hun Plot to Foist War Blame on France

BARE HUN PLOT TO I FOIST WAR VAR BLAME ON FRANCE J Minister Pichon Reveals Sinister Aims of Germans Before Hostilities By International News New Service V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON March 2 2 Germany Germany tried to Impose upon France the re responsibility responsibility re- re for the world war on July 31 This was part of the plan the other part of which was revealed yesterday by Foreign Minister Pichon in his address address address ad ad- dress at the tho where he showed that the ex German ex-German chancellor Hollweg Bethmann-Hollweg had instructed the German ambassador at Paris to tell France that Germany would seize the tho fortresses at Verdun and Toul in order to keep her neutral The effort to make France responsible responsible responsible sible for the world war is revealed in ina a statement by M. M the French rench minister of oC foreign affairs at the time received here through French official sources toda today M M. statement is as follows M 1 Pichons Pichon's revelations now enable me to better appreciate the attitude Von the German ambassador showed in my cabinet during the day dayoC of oC July 31 1914 At that time he asked me wh what t would be the condition of Franco rance in in case of o a conflict between Germany German and Russia ATTITUDE OF FRANCE Without doubt the ambassador expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex me to reply It would mean war I In that event he would have ac accused accused accused ac- ac France of provoking it Or should I have shown weakness it would have given him an occasion for presenting the dishonorable proposal with which he was charged But I replied to him him that t Franco would be inspired only by her own in in- in He had nothing more to say but declared however that he lie would return the following day which was August 1 I about the answer to the question he had asked He came back but did not ask further and appeared disinterested in what he had asked I previously The rhe Pichon revelations re of the German German Ger Ger- man plan to force France at a critical moment were scanned with the greatest greatest greatest great great- est interest by high officials here to to- to day It is an open secret that many important Americans In the maze o of documentary evidence which surrounds surrounds sur sur- roun rounds ls the beginning of or the tho war have hesitated to place the real responsibility responsibility for it Yesterdays Yesterday's revelations are universally un accepted hero as clinching the responsibility on German Germany Ger Ger- man many French official advices indicate urn Luat tho the revelations have ha been accepted with equal accord In France GERMAN PLANS COMPARED The German plans on Verdun am an and Tot Toul l are compared with the tho German seizure of Lorraine Alsace for or protection protection protection pro pro- in 1871 Le Temps of or Paris asks that the revelations be compared with this thi statement of oC German MinIster Minister Minister Min Min- Ister von Kuehlmann made on October October October Oc Oc- tober 9 1917 He said If U we wished we Germans to ap appropriate appropriate ap- ap to ourselves the word dis annexation there would come como to ou our minds such beautiful words as Toul Tou and Verdun Until now says Le Temps we could accept these words as fanciful Now that the text of 1914 is published they look like premeditation The Berlin cabinet has wanted not only to invade France but to dismember her territory The Petit says the German German German Ger Ger- man demands for Toul and Verdun are the same demands that Germany made the same sarno day upon Belgium The paper paper paper pa pa- per then says Which are the parties of the reichstag reichstag reichstag tag who will daro dare radically to condemn condemn condemn con con- this act of the ex chancellor Who Vho are those who will ali alf align n themselves themselves themselves them them- selves with tills this policy of plunder ana and cynicism