The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-31

ASeu WOTIU WAS appalled, at
4 the prospect OF a bloodier
war than ever darkened history.
SerEia's. dream of centuries for a
port on the Adriatic was about to be
accomplished in the recent Balkan
war, when Austria Hungary shattered
it and also forced the Montenegrins
to retire from Scutari.
This intensified the hatred for Aus
tria that has been in the hearts of the
Servians for six hundred years and
which was actively expressed in the
recent assassination of Archduke Ferdi-
nand, heir to the Austro-H Hungarian
throne, and his wife. The assassina-
ton was the match to the magazine.
Then came Austria's ultimatum
Servia answered the Austrian ultima
tum by the acceptance of all conditions
imposed therein save one. She agreed
to dissolve the Pan-Serb societies ac-
Gused of plotting against the Austrian
state. She agreed to publish an apollo
gy in the official journal, agreed to is
sue an army order condemning the
greater Servia agitation and agreed to
dismiss all Servian officers and officials
whose completely in the assassination
of the .Archduke Francis Ferdinand
and his wife was proved.
On one point only did she make res
ervation, namely-that the measures
| required of her should be such as inter
| national law sanctions, and that she be
not compelled to allow Austrian off,
/ OLE 20
there try Servian subjects. She asked
that this request be submitted to The
Hague tribunal and that more time be
! granted for that end. srffus on nine
out of ten points Austria had imme-
date compliance, and on the tenth she
was requested to allow a reference TO
The Hague court, which might find in
| her favor If her case were good.
This reply was considered insufficient
by Austria, and the Austrian minister
at Belgrade left the Servian capital.
i Biggest War In History.
Greater than all the armies ever be
fore assembled win be those called on
in case the countries which are parties
to the triple alliance and the triple en-
tente are finally Thought Into ,tbe~MSas
between Austria SnG sServ4a. elf sthe
entire strength of the nations involved
were placed in the feld-or if a. fair
proportion of them were called out
they would make the armies of past
conflicts seem small by comparison.
II Servia-one Of the little nations OF
the world-has not much of an army
Latest figures, prepared this year
show that her army in time of peace
numbers 81, 1000 men. HeF war strength
is 100000, and In addition to this force
she has an unorganized body of meI
who, in case of dire necessity, could
be called on for service, numbering so,
900 more. This body of men would b'
but a speck compared with the tire
mendous armies which could be called
upon to shoulder arms If Russia, Francs
and Great Britain, composing the tripl
entente, took up the cause of Servia.
II Russia's Great Power.
Russia leads all the big countrie:
mentioned both in peace strength ant
war footing, although her war foot1nt
is but 100000 in excess of that of Ger
many. She has i 100000 men In tfme
of peace and {, 600, 900 on a war footing
France has 10000 for peace guar,
and 100000 on a war footing. Grea
] Britain has a peace footing of 254 ,O0
? and war footing of 100000. The tota