Evening star., 1914-12-31

-T is not enough to say of the year
our Lord 1914 that it is unique-tha'
1t does not fall into the processio:
Of the years with the accustomed
swing 1t seems not to fit into the
hitherto continuous march OF human
events at all. 1t is break in the ranks
and 1t cannot be made to conform 10
the ways of Its predecessors.
1t Is a variant in which the original
type has been SO obscured by a par
asitic growth that it is no longer dis
cernible. That parasite which has
transformed the year now at its close
I Into a horror without precedent IN
! breadth and malignfty is war-WaI
| which Is devastating the old world and
fixing its sinister impress on the new
1t came swiftly and with a terrinc
/ clash. July %, the Austro- hungarian
government sent an ultlmatuHi "
Servia demanding the punishment OF
the persons concerned in the aSsasslna-
tion of the Archduke Franz Ferdlnand
and instant suppression of all anu
Austrian propaganda in that country.
"Forty-eight hours for conslderation
will be given" declared the note OF the
dual monarchy The Belgrade govern
ment replied within the time unit :
agreeing to the Austrian demand Win
a single exception-that which Wouio
have empowered Austrian oflclals 10
of the murderers The Serbs asked for
further Information on this point.
The reply was not satisfactory TO
Austria. She promptly declared war on
Servia and began to move troops TO-
ward the border. Realizing that they
would be obliged to defend themselves
from invasion, the Serbs began active
mobiliZa ton. and removed their capitai
from Belgrade to the old city OF Nlsh,
in the interior. Instantly the eyes OF
ward Russia. Would the czar permit
Austria to overrun Servia wlthout
something more than formal pro-
test?
The day after Austria declared war
on Seryia, the Russian minister OF Tor
cigu affairs warned the German am
bassador that If Servia were lnVadea
Russia would not be able to remain
neutral. For few days. austrian anu ~.
Russian diplomats kept the wires NOT
between Vienna and St Petersburg, Dut
to no avail. Great Britain proposed 10
Germany, France and ltaiy ina.
council should be arranged TO medlate
between the two disputants. Germany
declined to become party to such an
arrangement The czar urged the
kaiser to use his influence with tne
Austrian emperor in behalf OF peace
full settlement of the diff1culty- Accoro-
ing TO the German account, the kaiser
complied with this request to the Dest
of his ability. When he discovered,
however, that mobilization was gong
on actively in Russia, he Wireo the
car that his course was making Heu-
iation impossible.
Kaiser Orders Mobilization.
Two days later, in a personal message
TO the czar, the kaiser announced that
the safety of the German emp. e com.
pelled him to prepare for the iatlonai
defense. He proclaimed ma, .ial Ia"
throughout the country ana sent
twenty-four-hour ultimatum to the
SIuscoyite government demanding an
instant abandonment OF all war prepa-
ration At the expiration of this uitl-
matun, August l, the kaiser gave the
order for mobilization to, begin ana On
German amba ssador at St. Petersburg,
started hOmeward.
Meanwhile. Baron Won Schoen, the
German ambassador at Paris. was
sounding the French government as 10
its intentions in case of Russo-Ger-
manic war Premier Eiviani repled
that in any instance the republic W ould
be compelled to safeguard her own In
terests. The mobilization OF the ent1re
French army was begun at once. Mar
tial law was declared and, August 4.
the German ambassador announced
that the war between his country ana
France was on. Within week the
Austro-German combine found itself
composed of Servia, Russia, France,
Belgium. Great Britain. Portugal and
Montenegro. England had asked both
France and Germany If they would re-
spect the neutrality of Belgium IN case
of war The former had answered in
the affirmative. The latter made no dl-
rect reply. and Belgian mobilization be-
gan at once.
August 2 German army marched
into the grand duchy of Luxembourg,
whose neutrality had been guaranteed
by the powers in 1867. A day later she
German government sent note to the
Belgian government demanding pas
sage for German troops through the
country and promising ample compen-
sation for all damage at the close o;
the war. This was in the form of an
ultimatum and specified twelve hours
as time limit When the reply came
it was to the effect that Belgium would
defend her neutrality by force of arms
IL it were necessary.
Great Britain Moves.
At this move of Germany, Great Brit
ain began active mobilization of hel
forces and all the naval reserves were
called out at once War against Ger
many was declared August 4. wal
budget of $500. 100000 was voted. tht
war fleet embarked under sealed orders
and within few days a British force
of 10000 men had been landed II
declared war on Russia and her troop.
crossed the Russian border. The Mon
tenegrins joined the Serbs against Aus
tria, and Bosnia was invaded. Au
gust 10 the French government pro.
claimed war against Austria, and two
days later England followed her ex
ample. Japan announced her inten
tion to side with her British ally.
Scandinavia and Holland asserted
their neutrality. but at once put al
their military resources into requisi
tion for defense. Portugal announced
her intention to fulfill her treaty obli
cations with Great Britain, but she
did not become belligerent at once
Spain professed absolute neutrality
hut began immediate mobilization o.
all her forces. Turkey declared fol
neutrality, bur mobilized her army ant
began to advance toward Bulgaria. L
was not until the last of October tina
she made her initial demonstration IL
the Black sea against Russia. Greece
as well as the minor Balkan states
was in a condition of armed ex
pecfancy. AS for Italy, sworn ally O.
Germany and Austria in the so-callet
dreibund, she took advantage of th,
fact that her partners We're not en-
gagged in a defensive war to remaiI
neutral despite strong pressure from
Berlin and vienna.
AT the outbreak of hostilities, q cen
sorship. which is the most effectiv,
ever known, was esta ablished In all th,
xA4