davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
The British mine laying ship Iphgena which able plant
whole field of mines when running considerable speed

to have quite 10000 OF these mines
ready for service. But in military logic
there IL a rational excuse for the sowing
OF contact mines in the open sea.
According to the old Roman law. ter
ritorIal rights IN adjacent waters ex-
tended up to the middle lines just as two
neighboring States upon a river have
their mutual boundary in the thread Of
the stream. Applied TO oceans and
seas. this was deemed too extended a
field OF control and accordingly the
territorial limit OF three miles. some
times spoken Of az n marine league. was
set because in those days the range of
artillery did not reach beyond that
To day the great guns OF the newest
dreadnoughts have bombarding range
OF nearly fifteen miles. Therefore. II
the enemy can attack ones shores from
that distance why, then. should II not
lie permits ible to mine the open waters
that far off the coast?
The Germans are not new at this
form OF coast defence and In their pres
ent campaign they are protiting by
earlier experiences The moral effect OF
submarine mines was amply demon
stra ted during the Franco Prussian war
OF 1901. Then the Teutons defended
their principal harbors and estuaries in
the Baltic and In the North Sea by
means OF mechanical and electro-m--
chanlcal mines. The former contained
from 80 to 100 pounds of gunpOwder
and the latter about zoe pounds OF an
explosive called "dualine"
During that war no opportunities &C.
Cured To test the efficiency of these
mines. as the mere fact of their pres
ence prevented the French fleet from
undertaking naval operations on any
scale. The ksisers own people were
the first TO reap the fruit OF their own
planting. on raising their mine field
the Germans lost large number OF
lives because of unexpected explosions.
II Is not commonly known. but II is
fact. that II IL 10 the genius OF the
l.ltlns that we owe the idea OF contact
mines sowed in open waters and planted.
50 to speak. on the run. Instead OF be-
ing a passive instrument Of dest ruction
the mine when used in this way sub
stautialy becomes aggressive in it's
strategic effect.
capt. Murray F. sue,er 81 the British
navy has thus described the evolution:
The Italian navy. in some sklful
manpuvres that took place a few years
ago. practically demonstrated how sub
marine mines could he used az offensive
weapons. Hitherto they were regarded
az fixed defences Of seaports. or were
used as blockade mines for sealing Il
hostile fleet In port. This latter func-
ton Of the mine would seldom be neces-
sary. as. generally speaking. IN. block
aiding squadron Is the superior belliger-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

- ERMANY IL the centre OF gravity
r of the present European situa-
ton. and she was always the
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

tional light upon the very recently, hur-
riedly improvised German war cry:
Down with Russian barbariSm, Down
with the Slav Down with the enemy
of Western civilization.
The marvellous growth of Gcrmany's
industries during the last thirty years
brought about rapid increase In her
population. particularly in the indus
trial districts. Industrial employment
at home reduced German emigrati ton
To foreign lands TO practically nothing.
The agricultural population did not in
crease as rapidly, because Germany
does not possess a sufficiently large
area of arabic land. The inevitable
result followed. Germany saw the time
approaching, somewhat too rapidly.
when she could not produce more than
only one-thlrd OF the foodstuffs needed
by her population. Just imagine what
that would mean in time OF war, when
possibly Germany would be cut off from
the rest of the world by hostile armies
| have already pointed out that no be-
lief Is 30 firmly rooted in the Gerr1a n
mind as the belief that great Euro
pean war was coming wish is the
mother Of the thought. In face of this
belief the food problem became one OF
the great national problems OF Ger
many
distinguished German told me sew
eral years ago that Germany must find
means OF either making each Ger
man acre produce as much as three
acres were producing at that time or
Germany must multiply the number OF
her acres by three. This last alter
native gave me a shock: 1t suggested
German invasion of the fertile and
endless plains of Russia Everybody
knows and admires the wonderful
strides which Germany made in re-
cent years in scientific agriculture. Her
latest attempt In the direction OF MAX
Ing one acre produce as much as three
| acres produced before commands the
profound admiration OF the engineer
ing world. ! refer to the harnessi ng
OF Norways great water powers by
German enterprise encouraged by the
Government and the installation there
of an ingenious electrical process. in
vented by two Americans, Bradley and
Lovejoy for the extraction of nitro
gen from the atmosphere. yielding pos.
siby very cheap method of produc-
ton OF nltrates for the German agri-
| culturlst Intensive farming, however
has Its limitations which even Ger
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

TIME submarine mine In going to
play a big part in the present
terrible struggle In Europe be-
fore peace Ia reestablished. Prob.
ably v will cause more havoc than IL
did during the Russo a panese war
when ship after ship was struck below
the water line and sent speedily to the
bottom of the sea.
The Germans were busy mining a
part OF the open sea OF their coast
when the koenigin luise was caught
redha nded by British fiotilla OF de-
stroyers and shot to pieces. However.
the Kaisers mine layer had already
sown the seed of disaster
The flagship OF the fiotilla. the scout
cruiser Amphlon. went confidently on
and In time turned and headed back
toward the English coast undermining
~ her fate. Suddenly the little cruiser
plunged like a stricken horse and shook
violently as she hit one OF the German
electro contact mines. Instantly there
was an awful explosion and the ex-
panding gases from the mine literally
tore the craft in two as they rushed
upward. Her smokestacks were tossed
into the air like straws and her guns
were shaken clear of her deck I'm
doubt eddy part of the havoc was due
to the defamation Of she Amphion's
magazine by the mine charge. This
emphasizes the greater hazard that a
naval vessel runs, because "A merchant
ship seldom carries explosives.
Since the loss of the Amphion a
German torpedo boat was blown up by
a German mine in the Baltic. and al
ready several neutral steamers have
suffered in the same way because OF
drifting contact mines in the North Sea.
Great Britain has now determined to
plant similar mines in off shore nav
icable waters, and 1t IL credibly re-
ported that Austria, Russia and France
have done likewise. Indeed an Aus
tran steamship ALREADY has been sunk
near pola.
To the peace lover this menace 10
peaceful shipping is wOfully shocking,
and vet II is substantially In keeping
with an international agreement entered
into at The Hague after the last con-
fct in the Far East We need not
mince matters: the United States was a
party Ia that unds rstandng
This may seem extremely barbarous,
for there was a day when the submarine
mine was utterly abhurred, as Robert
Fulton found out early In the nineteenth
century when he sought to interest the
British Admiralty in this manner OF
ann!hllating the most formidable Of
fleets, Since then the susceptibllities Of
cVrized nations hav undergone a
change and the submarine mine Is an
accepted and an acceptable instrument
OF destruction. England alone Is said
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

always been accepted by my German
friends as automatic. Germany holds
Luxembourg to-day she may soon hold
the northern part Of Belgium, including
BRUSSELS and Antwerp. She could then
afford 10 stand pat, and her huge army,
defending fortified positions, could per-
haps easily defy the allied forces in
definitely. II successful In maintaining
herself in Luxembourg and the north
ern part OF Belgium Germany would
place Holland between the devil and
the deep sea-" and Holland would
sooner or later go TO the German devil
With Holland and the northern part
of belgium In German hands every
German, feel quite certain, would rest
assured that Germany's Industrial
world trade and colonial problems, that
Is her national problems, were as good
AS solved and that Germany's most
cherished hopes had been realized by
the trumphs of her magnificent army.
The investment In those vast arma-
ments which staggered Europe as we'll
as Germany would have brought mag
nificent returns 10 Germany. The mill
tary triumph of 1871, which still intox-
lcates Germany would be repeated.
The whole scheme would have been
UNNECESSARILY more easy II the Bel
CLANS had not put up such a marvel
lous resistance.
These observations, I admit are only
permissible differences which recommend
themselves because they make Ger
mauy's violation of Belgian neutrality
In spite Of Englands ultimatum APP
pear more rational. In fact Germany's
precipitate invasion OF Belgium appears
from this point OF view az an essen
tlal part of thoughtfully worked out
programme. quite practical provided
that the Belgians could he caught nap
ping. But where does this point OF
view leave the claim of Bethmann-Holl-
veg and Of all the Germans. that Ger
manys struggle In "A defence of the
Teuton against the invading Slav?
This postmortem plea Of the Germans.
coming as 1t does after the Belgian
heroic resistance. sounds very much
like n cry Of despair, and excites con-
siderable merriment. in view OF the
fact that the savage Slav has hardly
stirred We; and Germany does not seem
to care what he Is doing.
In this connection IL is instructive
and interesting tn touch lightly upon
two other well known national problems
OF Germany, in order to throw addi-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

sea and far from any base Of con.
troll. Once planted and after a def
mite interval they become alive and
will explode the moment a craft Tits
them over a prescribed number OF de-
grees
Clearly mine OF this nature In an
exceedingly dangerous obstacle to hit.
for 1t has no gift Of discrimination. And
too II Is an instrument OF destruction
THAT calls for pretty nice handling be-
fore II Is dropped overheard. In order
to make 1t possible to handle them with
reasonable safety before planting II Is
necessary to make them dead" until
after they have been in the water for.
say. half an hour or 30. II In not our
intention to go into the details OF the
inner workings OF these mines other
than to explain broadly their method OF
working Most OF them operate on the
same principle. the difference lying in
the way that each Power chooses to
make the mine active when struck.
I'ntil recently all Of them were
charged with wet guncotton. which was
hammered or detonated by the blow
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
Anime
oNDNOT SAVS ATTEMPTING CRUSH PERIL SAYS

man diligence cannot Overstep and
II one is free to speculate ON the basis
OF recent occurrences nothing seems
nearer than the inference that the
war lord saw in an invasion of Russia
the quickest solution of the German
food problem. such an invasion, II
successful, could easily multiply the
number of German acres by three and
colossal Russia would not feel II. 1t
is quite probable that the present in
vasion of Russia by Germany would
succeed to that eNent II England had
only remained neutral.
What national problem is there in Rus
STA, excepting self-defence, which would
induce wealthy Russia to invade Ger
many? Race hatred and race prejudice,
even II they existed, would not plunge
great country like Russia into "A
gigantic war. But hatred Of Germany
does not exist in Russia. one half Of
! Russia does not know that Germany
exists, and the other half does not care
what Germany does so long as she
leaves Russia alone and does not back
up Austria in her persecution of the
Austrian Slavs and the Savs OF the
Balkans II goes without saying that
Russia Will never permit herself to be
bottled up in the Black Sea by an
Austrian invasion of the Balkans.
Russian barbarism is paraded by the
4 Teutons to-day as the blacklist peril
which IL threatening western civiliza-
! ton. He who knows Russia Of to-day
understands how groundless IL this
| hysterical calumny of the Teuton, who.
while begging for fair play, never hest
tates to hit the Slav below the belt.
| "Barbarous' Russia helped the Serb,
I the Bulgarian. the Rumanian and the
Greek to gain his freedom and the
world has Just been thrilled by the
Cars proclamation to the Poles. Did
the Teuton with all his civilization
which he parades on every occasion ever
3 help anybody 10 gain his freedom?
Germany's aggressive policy in the
direction OF extending her colonial
power and of solving her world trade
problem are well known and deserve no
: further comment here. The Morocco
/ incident, the Agadir incident and several
other incidents in Germany's arrogant
aggression are still fresh in everybodv's
mind. particularly in the minds OF the
English and of the French, but never
did Germany show her hand as plainly
as IN 1908. when Austria insolently tore
up the treaty of Berlin by the annexa
tion Of Bosnia and Herzegovina On this
occasion the Kaiser put on his shining
armor and proclaimed to the world that
he IL ready To defend, with sword in
hand, the violent act OF his Austrian
ally.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

Marvellously Destructive Inventions Sure Play Bis
Part in Present War--Types of Mines and
How They Are Worked

illuminate of mercury. That current
is sufficient to heat that wire and set
off the detonator which starts the ex-
plosive chain going.
one of the restrictions laid upon naval
powers at The Hague was that no
unanchored automatic contact mines
should be laid except when they are
so constructed as to become harmless
one hour at most after the person who
has laid them ceases to control them
and next It was forbidden ito lay
anchored automatic contact mines
which do not become harmless az soon
as they have broken loose from their
noorlngs." There are a variety Of ways
by which this can now he accomplished.
the result Of much recent experiment
ing. especially by the Germans, hut
there Is always the chance for me-
chanical failure Of some sort and ac
cordngly these mines must be avoided
when possible and their field sedulouslv
given wide berth by vessels properly
warned.
The evolution Of the automatic con
tact mine has called for the building
Of special mine layers it Is no longer
possible To plant these menacing OBJ
structions deliberately. for one Of their
chief virtues lies in secrecy and the
Speed with which they are sown. The
quicker the waters To be planted can
be reached and the faster the work can
he done the more in keeping are these
mine layers with the needs Of to-day,
because they really should act In con
cert with battle squadrOns. Accord
ngly most of the European navies
have provided themselves with special
vessels of this sort. and In our own
service We have converted the cruisers
Baltimore and san Francisco to this
end.
In Russia, so 1t has lately been
reported. mine laying submarines have
been built and launched. and 1t is qui'e
likely that these vessels either are after
the designs or have followed the lines
planned for Russia by Simon Lake of
tins country few years ago.
Fortunately there is fly in this
military ointment. While hostile ships
cannot see an enemy's mine fields
below the broken surface of the open
sea. still II has been proved conclusively
that aeronauts can look down from
their craft and see below the surface of
the water, and when the bottom IL
sandy one. capable OF rejecting light.
the mines show plainly in silhouette
against the background of the sunlit or
luminous sea bed. The effort now Is
TO so color the mines that they will
neutralize the glow of the water bed
and not be dscernibe except on the
brig htest Of days.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
How a contact mine is planted

ent In that locality. therefore the Adj
mirsl would. no doubt. prefer to draw
his opponent out rather than to prevent
egress To hamper the ships returning.
or requirements from entering port.
the offensive mine II especially adapt
able. The Italians showed how fleets
could be- forced over mined areas This
lesson Japan learned well"
There are Two types or contact mines
The first are planted In approaches to
harDurs and chaDnes and of necessity
must he rendered harmless except when
the foe Is appruaCh!ng These mines
are controlled from a shore station, in
asmuCh AS they are imperative unless
current Is fed To them from an electrical
power station ashore No matter how
they may h" ordinarily BUMPED into hv
passing craft within some reasonable
limits they are substantially inert until
the current from the shore station is
switched ON. Plainly this is not the
sort Of electro contact thine which the
Powers are now planting in the open
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

II Is a vulgar insult To ones .u'.-
ycnce to be asked to believe that '0'
Kaiser was the most sincere supporter
of peace In Europe. What was thar az
rogant defiance of his in 1905 If NOT
declaration Of war To EUROPE? lum.-
lated and Mortified Europe yielded 10
the kaiser's insolent threat and EuIHue
saw that II stood face tp face N'0
a real peril, the peril of the Il|is-
burg liohen2olorn aggression. Europe
watched II and studied II dur.ur ne
Balkan troubles and during the N.n.n
farce which followed. Il is an op'n
secret now that Austria pushed H.-
garii into her disastrous adN,l'ar r
against Servla and Greece; the I..-
garian patriots acknowledge j ana
curse their luck which placed a former
Austrian officer upon the bulgarian
throne. Finally. the Teuton aggression
reached iis climax when Austria hur'd
her formidable armies against S'r' 49,
everybody saw Hight then and cNcrNh'W
felt that the Hapsburg- Hohcn2".I''n
conspiracy was ready to strike az aN''
body who dared oppose its ciuu
screened designs. We are ready '\'
claimed high military official % Rove
lin when Russia protested again.' \.'-
| tria's brutal ultlmatum in Scria. We
are ready" shouted the Varl.k' ,.N
rs they paradod through the streets f"
Berlin and Vienna; 1--WE are ready NA'
the defiant cry in the mouth ~ '''"
| Tcut0n in Germany and Austria |''
shouting was louder and ticrCor than n
1908, when the Kaiser. with 81
limelight Of Europe concentrated TN.
him, appeared before trCmhHug L.
in his shining armor, This tim" N-
ever, the Teuton war cry N
/ ready" scared nobody. Everybody NM
I dcrstood IT, even Italy and Japan
I its fun meaning was felt NOR" doc
/ In London than anywhCrp else. a.
britain answered: 1--WE ar" ready
defend the heritage of the Aup'n-S'N.'
race against the Hap~hueg- iIuh.r'".
| Tern conspiracy.
Yes, the Teuton was prcparnF e
| many years and he was ready +"
! with lightning speed, belgium ana
Balkans and thus solve hN one
stroke all the material problems
/ he had evolved during his recent 80.
tory, in which commT cial'sm "a"
militarism were the rul.ng pa: 'H.
/ the Touton civilization. The Rr'"r .'
! his allies are ready To stem IN" To.
rush for the North Sea and the .f..''
| coast and To destroy forever tho n .I..
burg -Hohenzollcrn conspiracy. T.
deed the AnGlo-SaNon and not the -.H
who j. leading tho crusade again. II"
Hapsburg Hohenzollcrn peru to m ',''
! civilization.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
by VI. I. PCPIN.

ERMANY Is the centre OF gravity
= of the present European stua-
ton. and she was always the
centre OF gravity OF every criti-
cal European situation during the last
forty years. Her attitude during this
period was always the same, the course
Of her actions WAS always steered by the
same motive power. This motive power
originated in and drew It's nourishment
from a soil which Is radically different
from that OF a hundred years ago, when
German idealism awakened the noblest
sentiments of which the German heart
and the German soul are capable. But
a marvellous change has come over the
German people during these hundred
years. Since the o-Prussian war.
and particularly during the reign OF the
present Kaiser. German ideallsm has
been pushed into the background and In
its place We see enthroned German In
dustrialism and commercialism of the
most pronounced type. They are con-
fossedly the ruling sentiment OF the
German people of to-day.
The only problems which most Ger
mans Of this generation considered az
meritinG the name " national problems
were purely material problems namely
the industrial problem. the food
problem and the problem of German
world trade and colonial power. These
were the problems which most Germa ns
nave been carrying in their heads for a
generation. and to the solution of these
problems Germany has been devoting
most OF ner intellectual resources for
many years,
b'ne Germans have certainly mad,
wonderful progress in the direction ri
solving these problems hut unfor'
tnnately t. hermany ana for the res
ci the word the conviction grew strons
IN the German Empire that the hna
solution Of these national problems car
never ne reached without resort 10 arms
conviction which every German
patriot, and particularly the Prusslan
WAS willing To back with any sacrifices
which the war lordN may demand o
him.
lr"r. Mu"nsterberg II nearly RICH
"h"n he says that the movement 10
\ universal peace found no support what
ever among the intellectual leaders q
Germany M.tarism became tho rul
Ing passion IN tho German Emplre an,
alongside OF militarlSm there nourishe,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
The automatic contact mine now
used by the Germans.

have broken out at q worse time. 20.
August and September are their mos.
profitable months In brochure plr,
lished Ave years ago by the Spr.p'a ID.
Statlstlque de Paris 1t was said '1t u.
an average 100000 foreign tourists VS.
Paris every year About 25.OO are reg s.
tered each month from Now uhor g.
March inclusive and between 10000 arI
A. 900 In every other month of the year
with the exception OF August and S,r-.r.
Der, when the number Of foreign vsto..
never falls below 10000
According to the same authority tNef.
were 10, 900 foreigners domlcNed in Tt-.
far more in proportion 10 populate,
than in any other European capital Tt
numbers per thousand work out ~ g.
in Paris, 80 In London, - IN Br-t1. 90
in Vienna and IS in ST Petersburg
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
NO SNEERS FOR BELGIUM NOW
King AIberts soldiers Teach Ems.
lishmen a Lesson.

I.oNDoN. Aug. Sin presence ~ tho
magnificent resistance Of tho Rclg trs 20
what is reputed the strongest military
Power on the Continent. EnglishW.u w.l'
most gladly and most heartily onor them
amends for the slight put upon tn,ir H,'-
pian Nalor by Victorian England
For many years there was no Ohio.
people In Europe whom EnsisNme
Judged 50 harshly. Thackcray sneertj 90
Belgian courage. Charlotte .Bronta a.
nounced Belgians as hypocritical coarse
and lying The average Englshmau Nl.
inclined TO think of Belgian soldiers AS o.
no account.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
PARIS HOTELS SUFFER.
For Them War Comes n. Worst Tim-
In Year.

PARIS. Aug. From the Paris hotel
keepers point of view war could hardly
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-30

torn at the mouth Of the receiving trumpet
A few hurried directions are given, and then
strict silence is the rule. No human voice
or sound bu, that Of the singer and the music
must now disturb the atmosphere, for the Ii
tic machine behind the curtain relentlessly
records every little sound wave
a red light IS flashed and the queer little
orchestra gets to work. Then at the crucial
moment the artist has TO sing to this strange
little assembly with the same zest he would
under the inspiration of brilan, lights, beau.
iful clothes, splendid settings and an applaud
Ing audience Il is an ordeal. because he has
to sing with far greater care in front OF the
talking machine than is required when an
audience is to be pleased The slightest
variation means a start-over. a slight clear.
ing OF throat, deep breath or slight
shuttle Of the fect--and tho revolving discs