Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-01-01
STORY OF YEAR MARKED
BY SENSATIONAL EVENTS
Elost hfomentous Twelve Months of nnodern Times
Reviewed Great European War, Mexican
Troubles and Other World Happenings.

without precedent in breath and n'alig-
nifty is war-war which is devastating the
Old world and flxin5 it's sinister impress
on the new.
It came swiftly and with terrific
clash. On July 2S, the Austro- Hungarian
government sent an ultimatum to Servia
demanding the punishment OF the per-
sons concerned in the assassination OF
the AT hduke Franz Ferdinand and in
slant suppression Of all anti-Austrian
propaganda in that country and giving
4B hours for considerable The Belgrade
government agreed to the Austrian de-
pland with a single eNceptlon-that Which
would have empowered Austrian officials
70 take q leading part in the punishment
Of the murderers. and asked for further
information on this point.
The reply was not satisfactory to Aus
tria. She promptly declared war on Ser
via and began to move troops toward
me border The Serbs began active mob
i.!zaticn and removed their capital from
Belgrade to Nish. in the interior. In
stantly the eyes Of al the civilized world
":erc turned toward Russia.
The day after Austria declared war
IN Serv:a, the Russian minister of for
,ign affairs warned the German ambas-
Sador that if Servia were invaded Rus
STA wCl:,c, not be able to remain neutral.
Great Britain proposed to Germany,
France and Italy that q council should
be arranged to mediate between the two
iispnta nts. Germany declined to become
party II sloh an arrangement. The car
urged tie kaiser to use his influence with
he Austrian emperor. According to the
herman account, the kaiser complied
with this request to the best of his abil-
1ty. When he discovered, however, that
mobilization was going on actively in
Russia he wired the car that his course
Was making mediation impossible.
Two days later the kaiser proclaimed
martial Law throughout the country and
sent a twcaty-four hour ultimatum to
instant abandonment of all war prep
aration. At the expiration Of this ulti-
matum. August l, the kaiser gave the
order for mobilization to begin and on
the same day Count Won Pourtales. the
German ambassador at St. Petersburg,
started homeward.
Meanwhile the mobilization OF thu en-
tire French army was begun. Martial
law was declared and. August i. the Ger
man ambassador announced that the war
between his country and France was on.
England had asked both France and
Germany. If they would respect the neu-
tra1ity Of Belgium in case Of war. The
former had answered in the affirmative.
The latter made no direct reply. and Bel
gian mobilization began at once.
On August a German army marched
into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,
whose neutrality had been guaranteed
~ the powers in 1867. A day later, the
German government sent a note to the
Belgian government demanding passage
for German troops through the country
ana promising ample compensation for
all damage at the close Of the war. This
was in the form of an ultimatum and
or f~1 tsr%1sA
Abe reply was that Belgium would de-
fer,d her neutrality by force of arms If
1t were necessary.
Grea: Britain Declares War.
At this move Of Germany, Great Brit
Ala began active mobilization OF her
forces and all the naval reserves were
called out at once. War against Germany
was declared on August T. war budget
of $5000C0,O00 was voted, and within few
days a British force of 2O,0OO men had
been landed in France. On August Aus
tria-Eungary declared war on Russia
and her troops crossed the Russian bor-
Ger. The Montenegrins joined the Serbs
against Austria and Bosnia was invaded.
On August 10 the French government
proclaimed war against Austria. and two
days later England followed her exam
gle. Japan announced her intention to
side with her British ally.
Scandinavia and Holland asserted their
neutrality. but at once put all their mill
.ary resources into requisition for de-
Tense. Portugal announced her inten-
zion to fulfill her treaty obligations with
Great Britain, but she did not become a
bellsgerat at once Spain professed alb
:solute neutrality, but began immediate
mobilization of all her forces. Turkey de-
clared for neutrality, but modified her
s,rrny and began to advance toward Bull
ct.aTia It was not until the last of Octo-
ter that she made her initial demonstra-
lion in the Black sea against Russia.
ireece, as well as tho minor Balkan
states. was in a condition of armed en-
pec1ancy. AS for It.ly. sworn ally of
Germany and Austria in the so-called
DTeiEu'rd, she took advantage of the fact
that her partners We're not engaged in
defensive war to remain neutral despite
strong pressure from Berlin and Vienna.
At the outbreak of hostilities. censor
ship which is the most effective ever
known was established in all the warning
countries. About all that was actually
revealed was that the kaiser's fcrces
made their way through Belgium with
tremendous loss of men and property,
the Belgian defenders OF the little king
dom exhibiting power of resistance and
stubbornness which amazed the world.
Tho forts at Iiege halted the German
legionS for week. But the odds were
oosgreat- BY the end Of August the ter
rible German war machine had literally
moved it's way through Belgium, and by
September 4 had reached point within
twenty miles OF Paris. which was in &C.
tive preparation for a siege. The seat Of
government was removed to Bordeaux.
Suddenly, on September 1. the German
army Of the right turned eastward Since
thai time, the kaiser's forces have been
:ett:fng slowly, fighting with a persis-
tercy never before recorded IN the his
tory OF modern war.
Russian mobilization by the middle OF
August was practically completed and
the c@ar's armies were in rapid advance
toward tho German and Austrian from
tiers Great forces opposed the Slavic
advance and many bloody contests fol-
lowed In rapid succession, until late in
the autumn, the greatly outnumbered
Teutonjc allies began to show signs of
declining offensive ability.
The Japanese confined their military
operations entirely to Asia. They i'm
,nediatcly proceeded against the German
forts at Kiauchau, China. which were
taken by assault after ten weeks attack.
Russian and Turkish fleets have been en-
gagged in the R!ock sea, there MAS been
fighting on a small scale in Egypt, and
The Portuguese in Africa have soade sew
trr,! f-A-