Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-31

tlons NAV enter into a way leading 20 fa-
vorabie solution"
A distinguished dipicmatist explained 70
the American correspondents that the hesi-
tation Of ell the Powers Of the Triple en-
tente and the Triple Alliance, except Austria,
to take the responsibility OF general war
was due 10 "the clear vision given thern II
the last hve days Of the absolute preahoo"n
OF European civilization"
After ALI" said this unnamed expert, the
astute diplomatists and war lords Of Europe
ARMY believe the great war that Is coming
not bv ouf generation or the next VIII be
between the orient and the occident. They
know the Orient hrmly counts on the break
ing ,ip OF our civilization to bring them world
supremacy"
nut whatever they may have been hoping
for the French were preparing for the worst
BUSINESS was almost suspended and the peo-
pie were laying In large stocks OF provisions
for use in the event OF siege. There were
t,imors of mobilization orders but they were
not verified, and the newspapers announced
that the situation was growing graver as the
houts passed.
Berlin Was Not Optimistic
Tie observers in Berlin had little doubt OF
war They we're nearer the moving spirit Oh
the great tragedy than those In the other
capitals. On the night OF July so 1t was ao-
mitted that the issues would be decided Wlth-
In "a hours Peace or mobilization or inc
Germany army would be arranged Within
that short space of time. The Lolfal An
zeiger issued an extra in the afternoon an
nouncing that the entire German army anu
navy mad been ordered to mobilizei put "lth-
in 20 minutes another extra was on the
streets I'm which it was explained that the
,trp tnH n
gross misdemeanor and that the report OF
mobilization was incorrect. Yet 1t was in
correct only in the purely formal sense IL
was evident TO the correspondents that Ger
many was ready to take the field at an
hours notice and that preparations Tor pro-
visioning 1t had been completed.
This was demonstrated when the oihcials
of one of the Embassies ordered 10 barrels
of flour from wholesale provision trm' only
to be told that no such order could be hlled,
as everything had already been comnan-
deered for the army and navy
Germany did not yet say officially that she
would declare war If Russia's preparations
were not stopped. She only was threatening
to retaliate with a counter-demonstration'
but II was openly admitted that such a dem
onstration would be equivalent to declara-
tion of war The newspapers were saying
stand that Berlin was no longer inclined to
view with indifference the Continuous rat
tling of Russian sabres in Germany's face
and that only the plainest speaking on her
part perhaps at the eleventh hour, could
"preserve Europe from Armageddon.
A conference presided over by the EN-
peror and attended by the Imperial Chan-
cellor the Foreign Secretary and the War
and Navy Ministers, the Chief OF stan OF the
army and the Chief of the Admiralty Staff
and other high officials had decided. that
Germany was ready and that the moment
had arrived for asking Russia pointedly Tor
an explanation of the meaning of Its move
ment of troops.
So Passed July 81
The temper of the Russian capital, to which
reference has already been made, was very
different from that of any other centre There
was great enthusiasm for war, and II had
gained strength in the two days that had
passed since the British fleet had sailed from
Portland under sealed orders. The news
paper correspondents had been officially re-
uuested to announce to the world that the
order for partial mobilization had been
issued merely as a reply to the Austrian
declaration of war on Servia, a country In
whose fate Russia is vitality interested
And so July 81 passed a year ago.
The next day, August 1, 1914, Germany,
having received an unsatisfactory reply to
it's pointed question from st, Petersburg, de-
clared war on Russia And three days later
both France and Great Britain declared war
on Germany.
And peace may come as quickly as war,