New Britain herald., 1914-08-21
RUSSIANS WERE EAGER
 TO TAKE UP ARMS
Rev. Dr: Mercer, Of Chicago, Says War Spirit BIazed Up|Immsd|ateIy.

l London, Aug. 21.-The Rev. Dr. | Theological seminary, Chicago, has | reached here from St. Petersburg,
 having travelled by way of Finland, Sweden, Norway and the North Sea to Newcastle.
 T was in St. Petersburg August 1, when Germany declared war on Russia,'' said Dr. Mercer yesterday,
 and the effect on the population was electric. Enthusiasm for war blazed up spontaneously and all hearts, even, of the dullest people, became anil mated. Somehow all the Russians seemed to feel that every English speaking person was at one with them against their great military adversary EngliShmen and Americans wherever they appeared on the streets, were caught by the surging crowds and borne shoulder high, however reluc- tant and embarrassed they were.
 Apparently the Russians had been expecting dangerous development from the direction of Germany for a long time. One hears much of Rus sian disorganization, but I saw none of it. Indeed I was astounded at the businesslike way in which the authori- ties acted. There was no befuddle- ment. Within a few hours enormous bodies of troops were moving to the frontier of Finland Clearly the Russians were apprehensive as to the situation in Finland and immediately threw overwhelming forces into that country.
 Went Across Finland.
 "On August 10 I and three other Americans travelled across Finland Everywhere the Russians were in con- trol and I was informed that all the southern cities were in the possession of Russian troops. We passed near the city of Helsingfors, which it was reported some time ago had been blown up with dynamite, but we saw no evidence even of damage. Neither did we observe any extraordinary movement of the population inland, such as must have happened had the populations of the southern Finnish cities been driven out
 "All the way from St. Petersburg we found the conditions of travel normal, except for delays caused by mobilization and frequent incursions of officers for the purpose of inspect 1 ing passports
 More than 1000, ,OOO Russians are | now near the Austro-German frontier, and when the number reaches 2,O0O,- | 900 the whole great mass will move. | This should happen almost at once. | The German forces opposing the Rus 1 sians seem almost negligible in num- 1 Der. The Russians intend to mask | the German fortresses near Koenigs- berg with great armies which they | can afford to spare, since Russia has 100000 men under arms, and then begin their march on Berlin. Gen. Rennenkamp who is already in Wilma, Is regarded as the boldest and strong est leader on the Russian side. The Russians expect him alone to do wonders for the armies of the czar.' +.t'
 Long Without Food.
 R. J. Sommers and his son, R. M. Sommers of Chicago, in crossing Germany and Belgium were long without food. They had American s5 gold pieces which when passable at all were only worth $3.6O Buns were bought costing forty cents each. The Sommerses crossed from Ostend to Dover in a side wheeler that was jam led with HOO persons. When they reached London they found that paper money, which was all they had could not be used and they had to borrow other money or starve.
 MT Sommers says the people of Germany are as convinced that they are right as the people of Belgium,