Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
CHAPTER XIV.
The Suicide Of Europe.

AT the time OF the DatlIe III lne
Hal nearly all Europe was at war.
If any one had imagined that Russia,
France and Germany could declare war
against England, and that there the matter
would end. he must have been blind TO the
actual meaning of the then conditions.
Shortly after the defeat OF the allies at
Shoreham, a burst of homeric laughter
caused over England and the continent
by the announcement that the Prince of
Monaco ian independent sovereign, pos
sessed of the magnificent army OF sixty
body-guard carabineers) had declared war
against England.
The episode. amusing in itself. was not
without significance.
The prince was not a mere pantomimist
He had been compelled by some intricacy
of the actual situation to act as he had
acted, and his action only meant that so
complex and finely-poised was the ma
chinery of modern European poiity, that II
was no longer possible for any considerable
portion of Europe to be at war without
plupging into war the rest of ii also.
With the sound of the first cannon a
thousand slumbering passions OF the people
started into life. The hour had struck for
the placing upon the stage of thousand
schemes Of long -meditated revenge, aVarlce
and aggression.
Servia rejoiced. Her secret VOW to settle
the long-standing account with her Bull
garian victors might now be fulfilled. Bull
garia rejoiced. Now at last would she be
free of tsar and sultan alike.
Sweden looked round with something or
the aggressive enterprise OF her old nero,
Gustavus Adolphus, wondering II now, at
last she could not accomplish the deliver
ance of her Firms from the oppressive hand
of Russia.
The Cretans certain now that the sultan
would have his hands full of matters other
than their small selves, grit on the dirk ana
carbine massacre. Austria turned her eyes
toward Salonica with languishing, ana her
right hand crept out to steal.
Roumania dreamed that Russias only
motive for war was to furnish an excuse
| for her destruction, and rushed IN an ms 10
her frontiers. Italy had territories sun
''unredeemed," and was not this the time
| to redeem them?
Denmark had been nipped and curtailed
and her day was come for vengeance; rol-
tueal was alert to stab in the back her
| British rival in Africa in the hour OF his
preoccupation. 49,
At Athens, at Belgrade, at Sophia-from
| London to Batoum-from st; Petefsours W -
Meglo- Kastro-- the sword ieapt from us
| scabbard.
Mobil! -, ,,
The sultan pressed his fez tight upon
his head sitting among cushions. ana the
| panic of the sinner in the day OF his calam-
| ity gripped coldly at this mans heart ne
| had heard that the main oooy OF sne ee o. .
Wan army was moving eastward run az, t.s
headouarters at KnuzevatZ and were peliis
ma ssed upon Nisch and Vranja, while Tres
| Isvies were being made ia ORDER to form
| strong reserve and he had hardly hearo II,
when the further news arrioed pmIsar -
| ian divisions of infantry had occurred neai
Wiassina in which the Bulgarians hao
| been routed. .,o,-od fost one
| mon the other. like the messengers oi
| Job. n,sar,b,e Austrian
| body crossed the Save ano quietly
TSa next morning Austrian troops piVou,
| ackinr in the open spaces of the Guy a tha
| Austrian officers taking de1euner on .he
| boulevards met the astonisheo eyes Vi Inv
| waking citizens go, rIorr yae in
1t seemed as II the Golueh Ah'A
| danger of being broken ~, No,
W. this action was tantamount 10 an az
of hostility against Russia Oh t sne tba oc-
cunation of Belgrade another austria ~ "a
gade. without firing shot. was 70
| in Scemendria. The same day lelesia pi u. =
communication between Coils '<''i'A
| Odessa was interrupted. 80 ~
Macedonia was in flames, and iand oI
emeutes-both anti-Turklsh ana anu % G. :
| rian-from end to end. Inc van VI IN
! loniki was assassinateu anu ii"Ni0
the streets of his city. -. ,oss
The porte had called out the last c.ans s
! of rediffs: and redffs from Sihyi "a Sdn
| the Tripolitaine, TO the nunper ot 1890 $500
were heing massed with a view 10 tHe Pr
| .ao+ion of the frontier line. Fifty Thousand
men. still left around Stamboul' were n uiH
tributed along the chain OF lorts lioii. at
| MALE KAYAK to the Golden HORN ~
Of Turkish torpedo boats without topeuoeS'
| ord irnnclads without ammunition, steam
| ed northward through the Bosphorus ,i2to
| before they reached the LATITUDE OF e nf
a feet of Russian BLACK sea pat. III n
| tornedo boats and transports croWdeu WIN
| co 600 troops from Odessa, had sheIleo anu
| occupied Bourgas. (Bourgas Is IN oIle 'I
| railway communication with CONSTANT
nople). ,,r.r,. In oc-
cunyjng the two Servian towns was Rus
| STA 8 defense for her occupation OF the Dun
garian town. .I. NTH
an eyer-increasing frightfulness OF rapid
| itv DEVELOPMENTS which at other tunes
would have required weeks Tor their ou'
come. now required hours. Europe wheelea
| In q delirium of haste. The next day man
| a dozen sotnias of irresponsible Cossacks
| nushed forward across the GaIiclan IRON
| tier to Lubica and without delay austria
| declared formal war against Russia.
Hare was a -turvydom or Things
| brought about by the fostering greed ana
| the old malice of the nations Germany
| was the pledged ally of Austria; Germany
| was the pledged ally OF Russia against En-,
gland. and Russia and Austria were at war!
Look too at those Italian Bersagllerle
| and Alpini climbing like channels over the
Aims with batteries borne on nimple-hooIeo
mules, by the Mont GEMS route: lay
Is her Alsace-Lorraine-and is engaged on
| the one hand with French dragons ana
| mountain chasseurs among the Alps, ana
| on the other is Smelling with her fleet the
batteries that defend the Riviera, prepara-
| tory TO landing three corps, her I'd, Attn ana
9th. in the neighborhood of Nice and Men
tome Yet Germany was the ally or ltaiy,
| and Germany was the ally of France, ana
France and Italy were at war!
Mobil then, We sons of meni Set briskIy
| to it-for 1t is now or never Mobll for your
lives,
In England there was no longer a ma
ton; there was only a militia. The nation
had become an army.
After three days OF a terrific artillery bat
tie between British .ironclads and the forts
de la Florid de PHeure and de Tourne-
| Vile. an English army under Lord Roberts
had occupied first Havre and then Har-
| feur series of disastrous battles be-
| tween Harfeur and Yvetot had followed, In
which the British, though outnumbered,
were generally successful In claiming nomi-
nal victories. But they made no decided
| advance The hitherto unknown results OF
| modern contrivances were found to make
victory almost as fatal as defeat. The very
small bullets OF the Lee-Metford and Lebel
| rtfies-the enormous range of the magazine
| rifie-the use of smokeless powder-were
| discovered to be elements whose effects