The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-11
GERMANS WIN FIRST VICTORY
TODAY'S
SITUATION
tBy J. w. T. Mason, former European
Manager of United 2ress.

Manager OF United 2ess.
NEW YORK. Aug. ~ a. M
France and GermanyA Is fully mob
'ilized today and - 900 men are
now face to face. ty armed, II the
plans of French German general
staffs have srrectIy carried out.
This Is the day Of mobilization
and militia suthorities have agreed
that It wou,.. require no more than
that period for the active armies Of
France and Germany to complete
their concentrations. France has a
field army Of 100000 men, and during
the army debates In the chamber Of
deputies last year, the French govern
ment admitted that German moblIiza-
tlon superiority over France In num-
bers was about one hundred to eighty
four. This gives the Germans about
95o,ooo combatants now ready. The
Belgian, British and Austrian forces
advance the grand total In round
numbers to two million.
Austria ought to make the aggregate
larger, but her forces mobilize almost
as slowly as Russia. It will be sur
prise to military authorities II either
Russia or Austria is ready for ex-
tensive field operations within the next
fortnight.
France and Germany are ready to-
day, however, for the first great bat
tie of the war. There are two neutral
battle grounds now revealing them
selves. The northern armies are now
drawing nearer and nearer to a gen.
eraI engagement In Belgium and the
southern armies are coming to grips
In the upper Rhine valley. It is quite
possible that precedent will be es-
tabIished In military annals by the sim
uitaneous developments by two titanic
conflicts In battle areas 200 miles
apart. There can be no reasonable
doubt now that the French general
staff Is working toward this double
objective but We cannot tell i.wt1etfcr
the Germans will agree. At present
their offensc seems to be concentrate
ing In the north, leaving the south to
maintain defensive positlon-prob-
ably until the arrival Of strong Aus
trian reinforcements.
hS'S - 'tesiS PSoSapiNSy VI a 'SS-
tile warship engaging In a sea fight
with a passenger liner. Yet If such
an incident occurred, the passengers
would have no redress under British
law.
A few months ago Winston Church.
III, first lord Of admiralty, was asked
in the house Of commons about a ru-
NOR that the Wilson line which en-
cages chiefly in the North sea and Bal
tic trade had agreed to carry guns
on it's vessels Churchill replied af-
firmativeIy but added the question Of
carrying ammunition at the same time
had not been settled.
A supplementary question was ask
ed concerning the legal rights of pas
sengers If their boat participated in
naval engagement. Churchill an
swered the right would not be changed
in any way which means as the Titanic
law suits have shown, that only nom-
inaI damages could be recovered.
The United Press cabIegram from
Brussels stating that campaign plans
discovered on German officers, indi-
eating that Germany has intended
reaching Paris via Brussels and
Lille, reveals how vital has been the
check to Germany's hopes at Liege.
To reach Paris by this new western
military route seems to have been the
closely guarded secret of Germany's
advance into France which the Ger
man chancellor said would be re-
veaIed if Germany answered Eng
lands demand for an explanation Of
BeIgiun1's violated neutrality.
BY taking this route, the Germans
would have fIanked the French and
Belgian frontier fortresses running
east from Lille and would only have
had to capture measre French de-
lenses along the somme river to have
opened the way for quick run into
Paris. The distance from Lille to
Paris is about the same as Boston to
Albany with the Somme river about
half way between. If the Germans
had been able to go this way they
would have evaded the strong French
fortresses from La Fere to ChaIous
and then hope Of rapid investment
cf Paris would probably have been
realized. The stubborn resistance at
Liese therefore must have had even
cerater effect on the plans Of the
German general staff than anyone
hitherto had assumed.