The Holly chieftain., 1915-01-01
STORY OF YEAR MARKED
BY SENSATIONAL EVENTS
Most Mcmsatoss Twelve months Of Modsrn Times
fIsyiswsd essst European War, Mexican
Troutles and 0ther World happenings.


II does aet fall into the procesi0n OF the
years with the accustoaaed swing. That
which has transformed It into . horror
without precedeat In breath and malig-
nifty Is War-war which u devastating the
old world and axing its sinister fnpFesa
oa the new.
1t came swiftly snd with terrific
clash. On July q. the AAtro- o-Hunessta4
Aovernment sent an -uitimatum to 6ervia
d R,aading the punishment OF the per-
6oRs concerned In the assassination OF
the Archduke Frans Ferdinand and In
slant suppression OF all antl-Austrfan
propaganda In that country and giving
a hours for confederation. The Belgrade
government agreed 70 the Austrian de-
sand with q single exceptiou-that which
would have empowered Austrian ofncials
to take a leading part In the punishment
of the rnurderers, and asked for further
Information on this point.
TIE repiy was not satisfactory to Aus
ttia. She promptly declared war on Ser
via and began to move troops toward
the border. The Serbs began active mob
ttizauon and removed their capital from
Belgrade 70 Ntsh. in the interior. In
stantty the eyes Of all the civilized world
were turned toward Russia.
The day after Austria declared war
on 6crvia. khe Russian minister Of for
eisn Affairs warned the German ambas-
sador that II 8ervia were invaded Rus
sta would not be able to remain neutral.
Great Britain proposed to Germany,
France and Italy that council should
he arranged to mediate between the two
disrutauts. Germany declined to become
party to such an arrangement. The car
urged the kaiser to use his influence with
the Austrian emperor. According to the
German account. the kaiser compiled
with this request to the best of his abii-
ity. When he discovered. however, that
H. L..
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 tweRty-four hour ultlmatum to
the Muscovite government demanding an
instant abandonment of all war prep
eratt0n. At the expiration Of this ulti-
nahum. August I. the kaiser gave the
order for mobilization to begin and on
the same day Count Won Pourtales. the
German ambassador at st. Petersburg.
started honeward.
Meanwhile the mobilization of the en-
tire French army was begun. Martial.
tsw was declared and. August 4. the Ger
man anbassador1 announced that the war
between his country and France was on.
England had asked both Frapce and
QsrmaNy. u they would respect The neu-
stratsty Of Bsfxium IN case of war. The
former had answered In the alternative.
The latter made no direct reply. ana Bel
sian mobilization began at once.
On August . q German army marched
Into the Grand Duciiy OF Luxemburg.s
whose neutrality had been guaranteed
by the powers In 1857. day later, the
German government sent q note to the,
belgian government demanding passage
for German troops through the country
and promising ample compensation for
all damage at the close OF the war. This
was In the form OF an uitfmatun and
specified twelve hours as time limit.
The reply was that Belgium would de-
TEND her neutrality by force Of arms if
IL were necessary.
Great Britain Declares War.
At this move OF Germany. Great Brit
Gin began active mobilization of her
forces and all the naval reserves were
called out at once. War against Germany
WAS declared on August 6 q war budget
OF 500 6,Do0.0 900 was voted and within few
days o. British force Of 10000 men had
been landed in France. On August Aus
tria-y Hungary declared war on Russia
and her troops crossed the Russian hor-
der. The Moatenegrtns 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.
pie Japan announced her intention to
side with her British ally.
Scandinavia and Holland asserted their
neutrality. but at once put all their mill
t3ry resources Into regulation for de-
fcnac. Portugal announced her inten-
ton to fuiflll her treaty obligations with
Great britain. but sshe did not become q
beitigerent at once. Spain professed alb
soiute neutrality. but began Immediate
mobilization Of all her forces. Turkey de-
ctared for neutrality. but mobilixed her
aTtny and began to advance toward Bul.
earia. 1t was not until the last Of Octo-
IA Ia hap mi al Ao~r
ton In the Black sea against Russia.
Greece. as well a. the minor Balkan
stsics. wAs In q condition of armed ex-
pectancy. As for Italy, sworn ally OF
Germany and Austria In the so-called
DreItund, she took advantage Of the fact
that her partners were not engaged In .
defensive war to remain neutral despite
strong pressure from Berlin and vienna
:, At the outbreak Of hostilities, censor-
sidp which is the n1oet effective ever
known was established in all the warning
countries. About all that was actually
. revealed was that the kaiser's forces
made their way through Belgium with 4
tremendous loss Of men and property,
the Belgian defenders Of the little king
dom exhibiting power OF resistance ana
q stubbornnesa which amazed the world.
The forts at IIege halted the German
tegions for week. But the odds were
too great. BY the end OF August the ter
ribIe German war machine had literally
moved Its way through Belgium, and by
September had reached point within
twenty miles OF Paris which was In ac-
tive preparation for q Siege. The seat Of
government was removed to Bordeaux.
8addeniy, on September 1, the German
aemy of the right turned eastward. Since
that time. the kaiser's forces have been
retiring slowly. fighting with a persis-
tency never before recorded In the his-
tory OF modern war