The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-24
WAR ECHOES

Chicago Tribune: Two peoples observed the entrance of the Jap into the Teutonic war with distrust and some alarm. One nation was ours. The other was the Australasian part of the British empire. That the Japs entered as allies of the empire was not an effective opiate 70 that part of it. Australasians are looking ahead a generation or two and back of an immediate benefit was the possibility of an ultimate damage
 To our view the attack on Kiauchau was part of the Japanese programme of busting undesirable aliens. An unde- sirabe alien in the vicinity of Japan Is any alien. Tn due time we in the Philip pines may be undesirable
 To the east of the Philippines, Japan. and Australia is a drift of islands, some French, some German, and some British. They dot the sea. Some have military value. Japan took some of the German possessions. Australian forces took others.
 The situation was not aggravated, but it was not as plain as a pike staff. What Japan intended to do was a question. Was it establishing itself on closer outposts. edging in on American possessions and the Australian continent?
 With whatever reservations for the fu- ture, Japan gives diplomatic assurance for the present. German islands taken by Japanese forces are to be administered by Australia. The Japanese government proves its good faith and it's des.re to contribute nothing to complications in the east
 The United States will accept this policy as indicative of present good feeling.
 New York Herald: Reports that Cra- COW, the most famous city in Galicia and storehouse of treasures in monuments. art objects and buildings intimately con- nected with the history of the Polish em- pire, was burning caused great uneasi- ness at the Austro-Hungarian consulate yesterday. While 1t was declared that Cracow fortress was impregnable, fear was expressed that shells from the en- emy's guns might destroy historic build- ings and treasures.
 Scattered throughout this quaint and wonderful old town, the like of which there Is nowhere else, are the tombs of the great men of Polish history from the seventh century down. Here lie the re- mains of John Sobieski, Thaddeus Kos eiusko, Joseph Poniatowski and other fa- nous Kings, warriors, statesmen and elericals whose names are spread on the roster of the vanished glory of the once mighty Slavic empire.
 Even now the intellectual centre of P,- land, the old city contains churches dat Ing from the ninth and tenth centuries. mighty masterpieces of architecture whose walls are adorned with the work of renowned artists.
 Besides it's importance as center of art and learning it is of vital importance as the last stronghold of the Austrian rror- tier against an invasion of the country by Russia. It is the second line of forti- fication. and is popularly supposed to rank with Paris and Berlin in it's impree- inability.
 The city lies on the left bank of the Vistula river, in the center of fertile plain. It consists of the old town, filled with its historic structures, and sever. suburbs. There are 100000 persons in the city, including about 210OO Jews and 5OOo 1 Germans. the remainder being Poles The Qualifications, built in 149s, are now used for promenades