Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-09-22

hangs over the preciPice of war the
world S civilization and peace. The
ear speeds on. The archdukc is annoy
ed. When he reaches tlc town hall he
says to the mayor, who has made n
speech of welcome: "These speeches
are all right, but what about bombs ?
You say | am welcome IN -erajevo, but
they threw bombs at me here. The
mayor looks worried but the job is
too small for mayor. Even kings,
working all together, and all the states
men of the earth, with the gold of all
the world behind them, won be able
to handle the job that the little mayor
of Serajevo is puckering his brows
about. He telephones to the police to
renew their vigilance. What can the
little police force of Seraievo do in this
affair? It's matter for the greatest
armies the world has ever seen to de-
eide.
"I'll return to the depot by an out,
Of'the-way route" says the archduke.
smiling. He's accustomed to attempts
at assassination. Members O. mis- own
family have been killed in that way,
and he thinks change N his route
viii out-trick any other attempt. eco
down the Appel quay, along the water
front, is the order given to the chauf.
feur. He's a good chauffeur; only a
little while before he has helped save
the archduke's life by speeding up at
just the right one.millionth of a second.
" We want to go to the hospital to see
those who were injured in the bomb
explosion" says the duke suddenly.
The chauffeur doesn't know the town
well. He should have continued along
the water front. But he makes mis-
take. One little turn of his steering
wheel and the ear is in a SIZE street.
Look, Europe! Look, all humanity!
Turn your eyes from the altars of the
churches where you are worshipping
this Sunday morning, or stop your Sun
day'hOliday playing and watch and lis
ten.' That s the way an orator or a
historian might describe this moment a
hundred years from now. Just an ordi-
nary chauffeur has made an ordinary
mistake The side street is roughly
paved. The ear must 90 slowly The
street is narrow. Gabriel Prinzip stands
there. Just as if destiny itself had its
hand on the wrist of the auto driver,
the car slows up as it nears Prinzip.
Here they are, few feet apart, the re-
volver and the target. An inexorable
fate has brought them together in this
side street. The target seems to be
only a man, an archduke. But it ism t.
The REAL. target is that slender thread
from which hangs-over the precipice
of war-all that civilization has gained
through centuries OF upward struggle
The finger of the high school boy as
sassin moves less +Nan half an inch
The bullet flies. 1t enters the arch
duke s head and kills him. 1t also
killed the peace of Europe, but the
kings and cars and emperors of Ea
rope don 7 know it yet. All of them
feel sorry for the little children who
are left orphans in the palace at Vi.
ennO Emperor William, of Germani
and his wife telegraph to to little
children; "We can scarcely find words
to express to you children how our
hearts bleed To have spent such hap.
py hours with you and your parents
only twl weeks ago, aI- nos to think
that vor, are piunged into this imnee.
su"ablc sorrUw.'
The emperor didn't know then that
a million times four children probably
would be plunged into immeasurablc
grief before the effect of the flight
of that one lead bullet had died away.