IN OTHER PLACES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 78, 21 August 1914, Page 3

IN OTHER PLACES

AUSTMA'S LAMENTATION. Austria professes to Im> grieved and indignant because Britain lias formally declared war against her. The absurdity of expecting Britain w regard Austria, us not an enemy is not recognised in Vienna, so anxious are tli-3 Austrians to carry on their trade without serious interference and to retain their navy for operations in t'kfc Adriatic. Austria must 'expect to suffer as well as to benefit when »he k«ops 'bad coiripanv, and it h cheering to know that she does not feci asi gratified when Britain proclaims war against heT as she did when (her ally, Germany, proclaimed war upon Russia, outraged Belgium) independence, and obtained her aid for the invasion of France.—Auckland Herald. | PROPHECY BY COUNT TOLSTOI. AN UNKNOWN NAPOLEON. The following appeared in 'thie New Yoifc Times about fifteen month* ago: A certain person, .through King George of England and the Kaiser o* Germany, obtained an audience with the 'Tsar of' Kito-ia. who wed his influence to enable tOie enquirer to interview Tolstoi regarding the future of Europe. Tolstoi received (the interviewer, and in semi-darkness, as if only able in 12m medium to do so, .uttered a prophecy as follows: — "About the year 1912 or 1913 there would begin in the south-eastern corner ! of Europe a conflagration in which there ! would be .much bloods'hcd, but whic, . would 1 only b<* the beginning 01 a lunge upheaval in Europe. ■Nations would be at war with nations, flying at each other's throats, and when the carnage was at. its height there would emerge from the northern portion of Europe a second Napoleon, and what at that time, wan comparatively unknown, and by his in'fluenee ami .military .-kill would become the saviour of the situation. As the result of this titanic conflict there would 'be not several Powers in Europe, 1m t -two or three powerful nations, and peace, hitherto unprecedented in the history of civilisation, would be the final outcome." The only sea not freely open to British ships is the North Sea, where the Germans have scattered Moating mines indiscriminately. This flagrant violation of the rules of warfare, as laid down in the Geneva Convention, will have to be remembered against Germany when the war is over. Floating mines arc a awliuce to every ship fh.it ik.cs t'he ocean, and years ma- elapse, before the last of them is cleared away.