The European War

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 66, 6 August 1914, Page 6

The European War

DECLARATIONS OK WAR. USAGE OF TOE PAST. Although the first shots in the conflict have been fired, there has not been that oilieial declaration of intentions which in earlier stages usually proclaimed to the world that a struggle, was about to take place. Probably the last time this eourtly formality was observed in its completeness was at the outbreak of the bianco-Prussian War. in IS7O. On that occasion M. Ollivicr duiy read on July 20th, to an anxious legislature, a formal declaration of France'* position, and thereon handed matters over to the generals of the Empire. Even in this case, however, some slight hostilities had preceded the traditional announcement 'by a day or two, the fact illustrating the immense difficulty of restraining armed men when face to face with an enemy and believing the arbitrant of the sword to be inevitable. I 'Prior to the commencement of the Russo-Turkish War. in 1577, independent skirmishing had been going on for twelve months before the peace-loving Russian monarch Alexander 11. found himself finally compelled to abandon methods of diplomacy! On April H)th, 1X77, Alexander joined his army at Kishineff, and on the 24th of the same month after public prayers, informed his troops in Imperial State that the time had , come for them to cross the Turkish [ frontiers. On the very day after the I declaration Muscovite' forces"entered the | Principality of their Roumanian allies, and with the passage of tho Danube there commenced one of the most sanguinary struggles of the century, a wai [ carried out in Europe and Asia at the cost of an incredible number of lives, and of vast treasure to both belligerants. Coming to modern times. Turkish troops in )-,5!»7 fired on the Christians in Canea without any formal declaration of war, and this led. in April of the same year, to a public announcement by the Sultan of his intention to at tack Creece. In a little over a month, one of the shortest canipai»ns on record was over. The.Creek troops were unj prepared, and easily driven to retreat j before the superior numbers and disci- | pline of their opponents. Their hasty . abandonment of Larissa and disorderly ' in the extreme, and amoutcd to a panic j pi.nic.

Another recent instance of tiji'htiii" pA ; < iliny the announcement of belli•;on nt intentions, namely, that of the P.!'- r r :i eoiiti.—t. will be fresh in puM:v i;i,mory. -Tapai'i. in (his case, obtain .! mat-rial advantage by a promptitude o.'' a'.-lion which somewhat startled Kiu'opc , t tli- inonvnt. On February fith. 1:..1|. t!)" isl:|, ; l empire. lili'Iill" lleV ■■' with |( ;1 - V. impossible to I'anii- s„!i;tio;.. v,;,;. !,vw I HT MinUter from St. I'l-t-.-i.■■i| i - ir . Ti lr next .lay both Governments i-.,;ied statements sever;;!-* diplomatie relations, and two davs later the Japanese fiovemmene opened the war by an attack upon tin: llussian fleet at Port Arthur, taking it unprepared, and sinking three ship, winch mi;ht possibly have played an important 7,.-; : in the liejitinn; which en-iicd. A : ;r----mal declaration of war was not, made until February 10th. Itiissiii expostulate,!, a:;! ~; , ~'. .. | that -lapan was actio-- tvr \ ■',:., < \. in attacking without h.nli:.. ,-..•-:.:;. issued a declaration of v..■.-. ,M: !..;•,'■- i'en.-e. an authority on ail -m-l, ~.■ ■ - tiolis. [loUCVer. declares Hi;.' ; i.| / s.-itio'n m' tieaelierv hum •■ . ~.„C,i"' assumption that : ';'. , ,vnia';i,,i'^i"-",-.",..i ll|,'es ..'.uTriia'r"rleiTaratinn of ini ni;,. ; i ;,, ;,, r , proecodim.' to extremiti.-. -Never," i.

declares. "Was an :' 'l:,(.'■■■,. !';t no <-.-nt:iri<-, has ,„■'<■ u f( .»!N!,i, n .| without ,1,-liir: liuii." !1,. thinks that (a.pun. far.from violalim.- tl„. obligations imposed „m ],,.,. i. v t ;„. j, lv , „ f Went beyond them in ;»iviinj !„.,• jitlvi-r----s:iry ample untie,, of u hat. she mi.-lit i.v. |>(H-t. "S„ -train,.,!/- he >a,s. "had been til,' relation between the two nations, that uar ua, felt to br inevitable, and tier.- was no tnvhery through ;in attar'; was ilia,!,, without warnini;. .As a matter of fact the note delivered on February litli I.v- the Japanese renrescntative at St. IVliTslmrj,' not only broke oir diplomatic intercourse, lmt' practically implied a state of war between the two countries." The jM'Hcni! ,[iie~tioit is not without its iiupoitau-c to-day. since the rights and interests of neutrals in r.-jrartl to

their shi|i]iinir and l>clon\'im;s on shore are obviously concerned in the question whether a war can exist without a formal declaration, and. if so. when it may be considered to have commenced, sir Shcrston liahcr. one of tin- best le-al authorities on this point, writes j, follows :--

"Ivven adinittin;; the \ iews of !T,mtc.feilille that wars commenced without. olTk-inl announcements ar- violations of the; laws of nations, in so far as concerns the failure to make a formal declaration, it will hardiv be contendd that all the belligerent, acts of the partics during the continuance of the campaign are of couscpicncc illegal, and vio. lations of international jurisprudence. It is. therefore, nccessiin to lix a time when the war is to lie n yarded as regular oi- formal. This is n„ ciisv matter: different solutions to the question have been proposed, the mo-t sensible of which is that in Mich ,a-es the legitimate consequences of uar How dir,"tiy from the state of public hostilities, and that the effects which the voluntary law of nations contribuie to solemn' war date with respect to liolli.j-cients' rights from the commencement m Midi hostilities, and. with respect to neutral duties, from an ollicial announcement. 01 a positive kllowled",' u'' the (.\isten-e of the. war." COLD AM) TIIK Cl!K|)|T SYSTLWI. TKIWI L\|)i US I', is^imi.lTlF.S.

KI'IIH- i«o V ■;l- ,1-,. :, rrlllill^.ll.l,' aiti,-],- ua, |) )T :>;i~j,../) ;., ti:r "Kmiv! Tl'Jllr" • .11 tile nv.lit M -trill (if (Ilr Wol'M. Tllr ill'lirlr rN-ilr,! ;| o, V!l[ ,|,, : ,; <>i inlm-l. iiml it Ha- r— t,ii:!t '■■ pl ; (ilial ill-iu]|t int,, ||„. |',„vcs wllirll -•' • HI tiir -A-trlll. Tile u titer -aid: - A" iufliiitr iiiimlirr w' -tnii.N iiin.h all !- ,: 'rt nation- („ ,„ir aaotlirr. a". 1 !il-l!.cn.Mv, ,„•.!„. hi,,,,,,,, ;„,.|v. fi. ~'• •Mai„l- la.liat,. f, (i „, t l, ■ unat ,„.;,-.. ■fiitn-.-, of iivilii. Tit of l,an;,i„. -''■■""■ mil a" 1',,;:, |! ~^,,,,,ni'nn' of <.-"ii„r- uill a-k i'„r tirir m,„,rv in '-'"''l :■'■ '"<' -■■»>«■ H"!ll. Hill 'il.rv i.-a;.- all .Irman.i it. »!:••'■•■. .\m.l if. C'al:.av-\,'v'a'ila!,!,rru' cily iiauii „ii,. ~1..,,.,. in (!:,. ~,,,1,1 |„ n . ''"" J* I*.ll.- niih.iiM tlir ni-,, 1t ,;i, il]lr i a i ~, ~ '- I ' l '-- Il:l- |rt(a!,rll tlir i;.-!c t„ n ,,.,.t "*"''>' f" ; "" ! «»>■ ■■ Mil.' \„ „i!,-r l; ' l »'- lli -' »i>t 1111-- Wntllrcd t,, vj^l; 11 tinl; not i.nlv tlir ilrinamis „f itown ilrpo-itor-. I,i,f „ft!„. „.,„.],] ij,,,,,lr l-Wia.., In,, t„ pay <r„| ( | t „ Tl|| .|,„; f"V 11 loan llrulv LTantr.l. sh,. j,,.t- it iroiii London: if Xru- Voi k wants <mM *W pvts it from i.nnilon: if tlip •Wntim\ Egypt or India liavr Jiad good lar-

vests and want gold, they get it from London. She undertakes to supply on demaud not only the countless depositors in hiy own bank, but tho world at large. Anybody in the world who keeps mouey in Loudon can get gold from the Bank of England. What, then is likely to happen on the outbreak of such a war? Suppose, /or instance, Cennany declared war against us. A crisis in the money market would be at once precipitated. Everybody would be seeking to place themselves in a position to meet their engagements. Mouey would dry us. and the bank rate! would be. forced to a high figure. At the sama time there would be a tremendous fall in value of all securities on the Stock Exchange, -o great that the Stock Exchange might even have, to be closed. Banks ivould have to "carry" their customers who has borrowed against securities, and would liud a large part of their assets unrealisable. The discount market—i.e., the bill market—would be no better off.

The Bank of France holds gold to the amount of £128,000,003; the Bank of Russia, £125,000.000; the Roichsbank, £55,000,000; while the Bank of England, with world-wide liabilities, has only £35,000,000 lying in bullion, or coin, in the vaults of the Bank of England, together with the stock of metal held by other banks, perhaps, £70,000,000. It is estimated that this sum is equal to not much more that six per cent, of the total deposits of the 'banks of the United Kingdom. While the stocks scattered, about among the different banks is a valuable standby, the final reserve is the reserve of the Hank of England. That is the reserve which all tin; 'banks in the United Kingdom fall back on. In 1907 America drew nearly £I.>.OoX),000 in two months from London. The Bank of England':, reserve fell over £6,000,000 in'two week-, There is no other nation which has been able to undertake these tremendous responsibilitii*. Since IS!),) the world's gold has increased by £1,000,000.000. A great portion of'thin huge sum has passed through London, because London is a free market. Onlv £20.000,000 has stayed there. London finances Germany bv means of acceptances to the extent pmhaMv of about £70.000,000, at any one time. This means that accepting houses in London will have made themselves responsible during the two or three months after the outbreak of war Tor the pa.ment, mainly to the joint stock banks, of £70,000,000, against bills drawn on German account, which these hanks and others will have 'bought in the discount market. Mitt the accepting houses would only be in a position to pay the whole of this large sum if they receive, as they would in the ordinary course of alTa'p's. the same mnuunt from their German client-; to finance who--e business the bills were drawn. If, is quite probable that these clients would- not. or could not, pay. It is probable that in any ease, whether their moiicv was received or not. the discount [ market would be so hopeless!, disorganised that a •'nioratoriiiiii" would have to ■).:• declared. Tiie whole credit sy.-tcin re:,t-> <;n the sr.x.ly of banking' currency. If this currency is withdrawn no one can meet his debts, because no one has the ir,e : . : ,.- to pay. Tiie whole money market would be paralysed. As Bagohui said, nil t'nl would I"' left, would be a mica of failure-', and a bundle of securities. In anv ea,e. the sudden stop of the discouu'f : nu'l.inery would cans., damage and enl'u -inir—To ~Ti-;ii!<■ and fr'lorcie.n client* ;--- ;' whole. If thee | ia; in- nt in gold. London might have

i.e.'!-. ;, simulv fhroiic.li lack of (iru- :■' ii-' herself by the realisation oi - ■ ■•.' '■' i"-r inimense assets abroad. i.e. -be. eight never regain her place. ■ •■■' ■.••■ ib! dow in again, no 'i.'oub:. i,o '" v ■>■■:■ r. ■ int.-rest on our ] resent in- ■ ; 'a:. ..:s wki.-h amount;, to something l'- : '' t.■ ■:.!„ 0.."0n per aiiiium on a capita 1 iiive.-ted i f £;:.:::::: oooj.tio. Tiie = '"■--(. dauyei',,:; nciod, therefore, will be the few „y Weeks a.tei' the decliiratien ~[ war. or if it Vas ouite -'lea- war win in. vilabh-. the few llavs bcfoiV that declar,.;;,.,, „■!,,,., , im . ~„,.. mic-' attempi (o v. ;:::■;..v a- much money as pi -ible. i.'Kli.MAX'i AM) ItTS.SIA. lit i:Ai> IXDI'STUV MENACED. 'I'SAil TIIKKATIiXS LAIiDK .Sl'l'l'LY.

A h-Ucr Hutu ti». |i,-ri; u -a.nvs jc.ndont of an American paper, written in .May last, provides iiil',.resting readin:,-. Tin: correspondent .-iiiy.s Itussia is tliri'iUi'iiiii'; ticnnnay with a legislative stroke which will hopelessly disorganise (Jcrii-.iin agriculture, ami nmy even cause widespread rin'ii. .U. Krivn-'lioini. chief of the St. l'etersbur!.' IJi-partincut of Agriculture, is dral'tiiu,. a hill which will prevent Russian snbjiHs periodically iiii»Tii(hif' tii Cermany iu hired men.' 'This Russian ''hunger manoeuvre," as it is called., has created a minor panic, in all Ccnnaiiy's eastern provinces. The land owners declare that ii" tin: migration is stopped, their lichls will go'imtillcl, and the urhan population will have nothing to eat. The whole mci-hanisin ~f (ierman farming tiepends upon the .work of nearly half a million Russians (mostly Poles and Lithuanians) who cninc. to Cermany every year. It is estimated that, ii: three Prussian provinces three-fourths of the licld lahni-. is done by them, '"'""ill! Ih'hl lahor is non-existelit. Hence Cermany's in,,,t important industry is at the merry of a not vciv friendly Stat--: with the diU'clVlico thill, the im. any day in time of peace, and would cerfainlv withdraw it, with .lisash'ous results the moment war broke, out. i\i.mii;i:,\nt Win;!<'•:!:'■!.

l.Vrmany i- to-day a greater immigration .-oiiiitrv than even Hie I'uixl States: with tile dillereuce Unit he illlui'.v work, and alwa.s go home at the eiei of the -.i5.:,. ,„• after tile e,.,| of ■' term o; year-, 'the !!;li) census -liow'■'l n million and a-ipiartcr of these immigrant w,.ri:er, : and last, rear ii b ,-timat,.,| tlinv were a miliion an! a half. AgaiiM tin's. ~i:U |s.i;i'i; ~.,.;.,] 1 1e,l. i .' l ' l "' '"'■■• !er. ;!!•- Kn-can stibj.-et., of 'iillVivnt, race,. AuM rians.tbriiiaiis ]>„]:,< llunuaiians. S],n „:,ia,,s. ;:,.,... 1,.,. 1;,,,,.' li"" of 5.i,,,,,; .\le!,\',me with'th'.ir

wives, and sometimes whole families come. Hall a million arc estimated to be Austriau, arid more than 400,000 Russian. Holland and Italy each send from 100,(100 to 150,000. Whole industries depend mainly upon these foreigners. In some parts they monopolise the road-making works and elsewhere the stone-carving work. Farming is entirely at their mercy. -Ami as ncarjy all the 400,01)0 Russians go in for farm work, the threat of the Russian Government, if carried out, means ehaos and ruins in parts, and also probably means another jump in prices, which have been rising for years. TAKE 'MONEY BACK HOME. liven before the Russian threat, the harm done to Germany by the lack of native farm labor caused alarm. The immigrants are less civilised than Germans; they are mostly illiterate, always dirty and often diseased; they accumulate large sums, estimated at 35,000,000 dollars a year, and take them away with them. Against this is the {'actthat they supply the farmer with cheap labor and release the more, highly developed German for better paid work. The peril in war is dreaded. If a great war broke, out Russia would at once recall her laborers, even such as she did not want asi sgldiers; and Austria anil Italy would also recall theirs. Most of the native. German farm bauds would be summoned to the colors; so that the production of food would practically cease, and if Germany's ports were blockaded by England or anv other enemy, she must either starve or surrender. Professor Adolph Wagner admits that the withdrawal of all forehm labor would disorganise the whole ; economic, machine. NOTES.

Bchemians in London ~„•,. ~ titiouing lie m:; to urge Austii.r not lo send ™vs (o light their (Servian friends, bohomia was compered be the S'uv., about the liii.li century, ami the Czech*', who comprise (15 per cent, of U.e poi.iiiation, are really a branch of i.ho .Slavic lace. According {,;> a well-known writer tiie Czech- lune been living at da-gee., drawn with lb,. German section oi'i,'i» population, and it has been said thai they are weil disposed towards Russia.' lo ordsr Czechs ti the front wmi'd mean asking one brunch of the .Slavs to light another branch, in a'.l 53 per euit. of the. Austrian forces is drawn troin the S:av people. -General ftukhomhnoiT Minister cf War m the l-u-sian Miui.slrv, sudceded Genua] Kudigcr in 1!)»!).' u,. j s ha ;,[ to have introduced snaiiy reforms in the Russian Army, and, in all probab'litv. should war come, wile take file lield a-' second in command of tiie (Var\ land forces.

Tilbury, which i s -aid I,:, be the ceiure of great, activity at the present time. is on t;ie 'i'l'anu's. soiii" •>.) miles below London Bridge. U 'has a great dock sysk'.n, ami m the event of Great Uit.iin sending an expeditionary fore lo the Continent won ,1 beuune'a. ba-e id great importance, lor it lias direct lomiecUou with all-niie nonlicu railway .lues. The E- -ex lliver »'. .';!. which the Dublin I'iesiliers are ; - . ':ng. in all pioha.bi.'itv is the coy. r iwo and a quarter mile, ~; ieiigth. Sinodcrcvo, where ii vva • .'mted'au arti le-ry .fael we,, C.iigliT, i s identical witiif_ Sc, lM .))driii, liie point at whieii- ii c believed licit the Air.; eiau- left, dank 'ro-.scd ihe Danube. A branch railway j:u" eou io. l„ it with the Belg-rade-Ccii-slauiiiioiile line. Losznii/.., ~.' a ~nuii i-o'.vu o.i ,i,e banks ~f lie. lJelna, abou: eli miles above its junction with the '■"'''•- 'Miiaiu-vit/. 'i.u- Vi.sc for an AiM.-hi.'i army lud.illiu strong, is <ui tic Di.niib.', not far fi-o u the J oumauiau bolder. The (o;,- igji.ard Marions in -Jiriiaii. y.hch have ioeii placed on a war fooling, w 'i'e . i,ib i-dii d aboia cue bundled years age when delachnicnis of men and boats w. re -lal-ioned at t'.-'e aiarleilo iowcis erecied ahoy; the coasi a- a .lefei:e against l-'reuc'i invasion. Their chief purpose »i- Jo pre\cut siuuggli ig. In Mav 1.557, llie ,-o'vice v.asiriu-.fcrred to' the Aduura.'ty and became part, of the naval defence -ysUni. T'l-'ii men are recruited ikol'.i Ihe Navy and do regular periods of I ruining at sea. In naiify the coastguard is a naval rcirvc.

In piir.-raiice of his policy of con-lilt-ing forii'-r l-'oiyign Ministers-, tiie Premii r 'f France ii.i- coiiferrcd with M Arisfidc llriand. who from li)0!.l t., I'.HI »a, I'l-unier of the republic. M. ISriaml has had a rem.irka-bie career, lie did nor enter the Chamber of Deputies til! l'kti'i. out made rapid progre-.w. .lie broke the »ie:U railway strike some few year-; back by ■viinimoniiig the reservists, n any of whom were strikes, to. join the colors. I.it.-l year M. Driand formed a new p>;t>• i,.", but the movement was no!

The gari.-on of South Africa, which is in:: in!.!.i : n"d hy tile Imperial (Invern'iiienl, .•oe.-i-ts ~f 1 r.ivali'v regiment-. ■1 horse artillery batteries,' ti lield l>:itkriei. 1 irmpanii's of "'U'rison artillery, .i corps, li battalions of infantry and li conipinics of nior.mtcii rilles,' a tola' strength of 11,485 men. The miiiti.ry headquarters are at Pretoria. Ancn;; the regiments out there are- 2nd Hall a lion West Surreys. 2nd U.Uta'ion ikill'ordshiro Regiment and Ist ISatt.liio'i South Staffordshire Regiment. V pen-ki.t Cathedra.l in Moscow, v here the Czar may gr,< to deliver the ai'iiouncenii lit of war, is the mo>t, venerated of l!.e sacred buildings of the Kremlin. If was iir-t creek: 1 in l.'Wii l,v the C'xui Iv.i» Kalitii, but a uc.v building wit.-, put up in 1470-147!). It was iv'stuvi'.i eaeh time after being pil ].-,,! or burnt in 1 !!).'!. l<i.S:> anil ISt.'. 'lt.' contains the oldest and most veil, r ale,| pictures in Russia also the tlirnn • I'.f Vladiin.il I. and numerous relies of