The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-31
FEW HOURS WILL DECIDE WHETHER
 EUROPE WILL BE
 INVOLVED IN WAR
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 admit any interference between Austria | and SerVia when the conditions of peace are being settled. signed and ratified. | If this correspondents statement repre- sents the Austrian policy, as probably it does. war with Russia appears to be l inevitable.
 The British are prepared for war at 1 a moments notice, and the British army is quietly and swiftly preparing. The | war office throws cold water on the another framed notice to newspapers that "only the usual precautions" are being taken Nevertheless, every step necessary to place the land forces on war footing. except the summoning of the territor I ials to arms, has been taken. All the territorial officers received orders to- day to be prepared for a call to duty. ! A large section of the engineers staff | of the territorials has been ordered on duty It consists of electricians, mine 1 layers, bridge builders and searchlight and lighthouse experts. Some of these forces are being sent to Ireland to replace the engineers of the regular army, all of whom have been withdrawn from that place, for duty in connection with the | land defenses particularly on the east 1 ern coast.
 l lar establishment on leave has been re- l called All the police on leave have like wise returned to duty, some of them to replace soldiers guarding military stores | and stations.
 l Battalion Detained l The forces at Aldershot have been re- l inforced by numerous detachments from I other points. and a battalion of the Duke of Cornwell's regiment which was about to embark for Hongkong, has been de- l tained.
 The searchlight stations on the eastern coast, whose office is to guard against a surprise invasion and usually manned by skeleton staffs. are now fully manned. Likewise. steamers report lights all along l the coast last night playing on every in- l coming and outgoing vessel. a
 None but the admiralty, which is in | constant touch through wireless at White | hall, knows the whereabouts of the first fleet, which left Portland yesterday, but it is safe presumption that the fleet is in a position close to the channel, l where it can strike the North sea in the Ievent of hostilities
 The crisis could not have arisen at a
 more convenient time for the navy as
 the fleet has just been through a review 1 on a footing, which took the place | of maneuvers this year.
 A notice has been issued virtually clos ing Portsmouth harbor to private craft,
 according to Central News dispatch.
 Two Germans. suspected of being spies,
 were arrested in the Isle of Wight today l and are detained in jail.
 The political forces of the country also are almost mobilized soidly, presenting in Premier Asquith's words to the House
 of Commons today. "a united front
 The remarkable sight was witnessed today of Premier AsqulGh and Andrew
 Bonar Law, leader of the opposition. who | few days ago were on terms of per sona1 as well as political hostility, driving in the same carriage for a consultation with Sir Edward Grey, secretary for for eign affairs.
 House of Commons that the amending bill | to the home rule bill woud be dropped for
 the present by the consent of all parties; all parties included the Irish nationalists l and the Ulster covenanters.
 Mir. Bonar Law said: Tn view of the l prime minister's pronouncement that l peace and war are in the balance, do-
 nestle differences must not prevent us l from presenting a solid front
 He added a word in behalf of Sir Ed i ward Carson, the Ulster leader, to the same effect.
 Irish Members Received
 The spectacle of solid front in sup port of the government by all sections of the Irish members in the House of Com l mons was even more remarkable than the reconciliation of Mir Asquith and MT. l Bonar Law
 Not only the home rule question, but all measures likely to arouse party or in-
 ternational hostilities have been side tracked Nevertheless, there is a strong,
 although apparently minority. feeling that Great Britain should maintain neu- trality, whatever comes.
 The peace section of the liberal party,
 often called the Little Englanders,"
 which through past years of strained re- lations with Germany has worked for
 reconciliation, is taking a strong stand against the war. The labor party also opposes war unitedly. It's members in the House of Commons today adopted a res
 olution praising Sir Edward Grey for his
 attempts at mediation. and urging all the
 labor organizations to oppose the war
 vigilantiy Socialist societies in several cities have held meetings of protest | against the war.
 The Dutch reservists in England have
 received telegraphic instructions to eturn to Holland forthwith
 q The Cunard Steamship company denies the report printed in the United States that the Aquitania has been comman- deered for war service.
 Applications for passports at the for eign office this week have exceeded all records.
 St. Petersburg, July 30.-The streets of again tonight with enthusiastic subjects l of the Emperor and patriotic demonstra- I tions continue without cessation. The British and French embassies and the l Servian legation were. surrounded by crowds of cheering Russians, who ap-. rarently have been stirred to high de- gree of patriotism by the report that the Emperor in case of hostilities, Is to take command
 London, July 31.-An Athens dispatch
 to the Daily Telegraph says it is re-
 ported from Corfu that the Russian war | ship Terto. in port there has received
 news by wireless that Belgrade was oc- 1 cupied by the Austrans after heavy l fighting and that POO Austrians and 100 l Servians were killed.
 l The same dispatch says the Austrian seaport of Cattaro. in Dalmatia. has been occupied by the Montenegrins Cattaro