Mexico Missouri message., 1914-12-31
STORY OF YEAR MARKED
BY SENSATIONAL EVENTS
Most Momentous Twelve Months Of Modern Times
Reviewed-Great European War, Mexican
Troubles and Other World Happenings,

t,bnut precedent in Dreath anu mans
ri,v &c war-war which IL ueVastht'ns .''e
nid world and fixing Its sinister impress
on the new. III, ,orr,ao
o,,sb On July %. the Austro-H''ngarian
S.,,-crrment sent an ultimatum TO serVia
Sor,anding the punishment OF the per
us concerned in the ASSASSINATION OF
a. Archduke Franz Ferdinand ana IN
s,snt suppression OF all nti-Austriah
nropaganda in that country ana sNIhs
~ hours for consideration. The Belgrade
.o,ernment agreed to the Austrian de-
se,ard with a single exception-that which
.,.o,Id have empowered Austrian oficiais
20 take a leading part In the punishment
~ ,be murderers, and asked for further
incarnation on this point.
The reply was not satisfactory to Aus
tria. She promptly declared war ON ser,
ia and began TO move troops toward
y ,ts border. The Serbs began active mob
iii1atlon and removed their capital nom
peIgrade to Nish. in the interior. In
s,antly the eyes OF all the civilized world
were turned toward Russia.
tho day after Austria declared war
on servia, the Russian minister OF Tor
een affairs warned the German ambas-
sador that II Servia were invaded Rus
en- would not be able to remain neutral.
Great Britain proposed to Germany,
france and Italy that council should
he arranged to mediate between the TWO
disputants Germany declined to become
marty TO such an arrangement. The car
urged the kaiser to use his influence with
The Austrian emperor. According 10 the
German account, the kaiser complied
vim this request to the best of his abil-
Nv When he discovered, however. that
mobilization was going on actively In
Russia, he wired the car that his course
was making mediation impossible
Two DAYS later the kaiser proclaimed
martial law throughout the country ana
sent a twenty-four hour ultimatum To
thA Muscovite government demanding an
instant abandonment of all war prep
aration. At the expiration of this ulti-
nahum August !, the kaiser gave the
order for mobilization to begin and on
the same day Count Won Pourtales, the
German ambassador at st. Petersburg,
started homeward.
Meanwhile the mobilization of the en-
tire French army was begun. Martial
law was declared and. August T. the Ger
man ambassador announced that the wal
between his country and France was on
England had asked both France and
Germany. If they would respect the neu
trallty OF Belgium in case of war. The
former had answered in the affirmative
The latter made no direct reply. and Bel
gian mobilization began at once.
On August 2 n German army marched
into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
whose neutrality had been guaranteed
by the powers In 1867 A day later, thu
German government gent note to tn
Bdgian government demanding passag
for German troops through the countr'
and prbmising ample compensation TO
all dauhge at the close of the war. TIL
was IN the form of an ultimatum AM
specified twelve hours as a time limit
Tht reply was that Belgium would de
ftni her neutrality by force of arms
II we're necessary.
Great Britain Declares War.
At this move of Germany. Great Brit
| ain began active mobilization of he
forces and all the naval reserves wer
called out at once. War against German
was declared on August I, war bulge
Of S0OO00000 was voted, and within fe'
DAYS a British force of 10000 men ha
been landed in France. On August Aus
tria-Hungary declared war on Russi
and her troops crossed the Russian boz
der. The Montenegrins Joined the Serb
against Austria and Bosnia was invaded
On August 10 the French governmer
proclaimed war against Austria. and tw
days later England followed her exam
pie. Japan announced her intention
side with her British ally.
Scandinavia and Holland asserted the
neutrality, but az once put all their mil
tory resources into requisition for d.
tense. Portugal announced her inter
ton TO fulfill her treaty obligations wit
Great Britain, but she did not become
belligerent at once Spain protested a
solute neutrality, but began immedia
mobilization of all her forces. Turkey d
clared for neutrality. but modified h
army and began to advance toward Blu
saria. 1t was not until the last of Oct
Der that she made her initial demonstr
ton in the Black sea against Russi
Greece, as well as the minor Balk;
states, was in condition of armed e
pectancy. As for Italy, sworn ally
Germany and Austria in the social
=. Dreieund, she took advantage of the ia
a mat her partners We're not engaged in
defensive war to remain neutral despi
strong pressure from Berlin and Vienn
At the outbreak OF hostilities, a censo
snip which is the most effective ev
known was established In all the warri
countries. About all that was actual
revealed was that the kaiser's fore
made their way through Belgium with
tremendous loss of men and proper'
me Belgian defenders of the little kin
uom exhibiting n power of resistance a
stuhbornness which amazed the wor
me forts at Liege halted the Germ
regions for week. But the odds we
100 great. By the end OF August the I,
moved Its way through Belgium, and
september had reached n point will
twenty miles of Paris, which was in
i've preparation for a Siege The seat
government was removed to Bordeal
suddenly, on September 4, the Germ
army OF the right turned eastward. Sir
mat time the kaisers forces have be
tehring slowly. fighting with pers
tency never before recorded In the h
tory OF modern war
RUSSIAN mobilization by the middle
august was practicHffy- completed @
me cars armies were in rapid advai
toward the German and Austrian fr
uers Great forces opposed the Sla
SuVance and many bloody contests (
lowed In rapid succession. until late
.he autumn, the greatly outnumbe
4 5eutonic allies began to show signs
~ ueeIning offensive ability.
TIE Japanese confined their milit
operations entirely to Asia. They
nediately proceeded against the Germ
!o!ts at Kiauchau, China. which W
Saken by assault after ten weeks alta
russian and Turkish fleets have been
saged In the Black sea, there has b