The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-04
WAR ECHOES

Nile may yet have an opportunity of
 satiating his thirst for deeds of derring do While there is not the remotest pos sibility of the United States becoming in 1 volved in general European conflict. l the extended duration of hostilities be- l tween the great powers of Europe will l open a way to many enterprises only to be participated in by men willing ito take long chances"
 Even as the advent of an inter-alliance war in Europe will make an actuality of what has hitherto been regarded as ma terial for the most imaginative writers of fiction, so will hundreds of fiibuster- ing tales be enacted in real life. It is fact that each of the powerful nations involved in the present crisis has laid away ample store of arms and am- intuition to meet all possible eventuali- ties. but a protracted drain upon these resources will open up market for any that can be obtained.
 It was learned that already the arms
 industry has been stimulated here. Ex- portation of such arms to country whose government Is engaged in a war with another nation is a hazardous un- dertakng and can be engineered only with the utmost secrecy. Aside from the danger of detection in clearing the cargo, there is the greater danger of being detained and seized at sea as a bearer of contraband of war.
 These facts in themselves are sufficient to entice the foolhardy and adventurous youth of this country, whose business in stincts, versatility and daring render him peculiarly apt
 Should the Balkan states become ac- lively concerned in the general struggle for supremacy in Europe, they above all the others will need to import arms and ammunition, for the recent Balkan con flict used up much of their stock. The incessant call for armament of an ultra- modern calibre and design has caused to be stored up here vast quantities of heavy ordnance which would have been regarded in awe and wonder decade ago.
 Great pieces which can be utilized eith- as part of the armament of war craft or mounted for coast defense have been laid aside and regarded, in the light of recent improvement in such things, as much scrap metal.
 When much of the modern guns which are trained against each other in con flict such as is imminent in Europe have been dismantled and rendered useless these discarded pieces will appear less like material for the scrap heap. In fact fabulous sums may be offered for them sums far in advance of their intrinsic worth, because men who might bring them to where they can be made use of will need to be rewarded amply for the work.
 The majority of the guns which might be made of are of sx-inch cali bre and range in length from 15 to 20 feet Although not equipped with the most recently devised improvements in mechanism they are finely wrought breech loading weapons and are stored in the vicinity of New York.
 In addition to these ponderous engines of destruction. the leading manufacturers of and dealers in heavy arms in the United States have thousands of guns of lesser calibre, modern field pieces and weapons which are suitable for secondary batteries on board fighting ships. The majority of these are less obsolete in design than a large portion of the arms which will be utilized in the imminent hostilities
 New York Herald Not since American shipping lost it's prestige during the civil war has there been such an opportunity to regain standing in the maritime world as is offered at the present moment Vessels flying the American flag are the only ones on which the marine insur- ance brokers will accept risks, and these are ptifuly few in number Companies operating coastwise vessels of respectable tonnage, long held in re- straint by the weight of English and German competition have already sig | nfied their intention of withdrawing their vessels from the regular trade with the view of sending them to European ports In this move alone may be seen the re- awakening of an American merchant ma rine that needs but little such stimulus l in order to assume it's rightful position among the traders of the world l London Special of July 31 to the New York Times: A dispatch from Martin H.
 Donohue, the correspondent of the New l York Times and the London Chronicle at Semlin. who sent the first and only l telegram outside the official reports of ! the bombardment of Belgrade, says he l has been ordered out of Semlin by the Austrian military authorities, together
 with the other correspondents there MT. Dcnohue does not reaveal his destina- ton.
 l The strictness of the military censor | ship is shown by delays in sending and l don from Austria.
 The Daily Mail this morning has a | Semlin dispatch. delayed in transmission. 1 dated Wednesday morning. stating apropos of the bombardment of Belgrade, that l the correspondent saw intermittent fir ing. The Servian fire was ineffective, but three well-aimed shots from the guns
 of the monitors tore large holes in the facade of the headquarters of the Ser
 vian general staff.
 A censored and delayed Vienna dis.
 patch to the Daily Mail, dated wednes-
 day, quotes the Neue Freie Presse for the statement that the Servians withdrew
 from Belgrade on Wednesday after an
 attack by infantry and artillery.
 Dr. Dillon, in dispatch from Vienna
 to the Daily Telegraph, says the days
 of the war correspondent are over. The