Europe in arms, the titanic war of nations; graphic descriptions of the unparalleled battles on land and sea and the operations of air-scouts, the newest form of destroyers

Front matter

Glass J7 »5"^/ / Book «> w ^ ,

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'by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y., I9llf

Book I The World-staggering War Page

The Deluge. Columbia 's Vision 10

First Thoughts of the War op Wars

The Impossible Has Happened 11

The Greatest Cause of War 12

The Rage for Destruction 12

The Task of America 13

Imperial Militarism and Religion 14

Last Message of the Pope 16

Judgment Some Day. Poem 17

The Armageddon of Silence 19

The Censorship Puts Us Back a Century 19

How It Works in War-Ridden Lands 20

Heroes and Heroic Deeds 21

The Cry of the Women. Poem 21

Death in the Dark 22

First Experiences in a Great War

Commonplace Horrors 25

Individual Experiences 26

What a Poor Mother Says. Poem in French 28

Facing Hardships 29

Scenes in Paris - 30

Americans Caught in the Cordons of War 34

First Food in Three Days 35

Scenes of Liege Skirmishing 36 iv CONTENTS

PAGE

Arrival of the Pliiladelphia 37

National Anthem Heralds Arrival 38

Chronology of the First Two Weeks 40

A General View 43

The Hour. Fagan 's Poem 44

Liege 44

Siezing the Whole Town 45

Wounds Worse Than Death 47

Fresh Troops to Slaughter 48

Dead Buried in Heaps 49

The Conquest of Liege. Phillips ' Poem 50

Dicken 's Picture of War at Liege 51

A Soldier 's Letter to His Sweetheart 51

Machine Obedience of Men 52

Word-Picture of Battle at Diest 53

Death of Horses From Exhaustion 54

To Europe. Stirling 's Poem .' 55

War in Alsace 56

Adventures on Bicycles 57

Shot as a Spy 58

Search for Dead in Cornfields 58

Signs of War's Disaster 59

Alsatian Peasant's Story 60

Wounded Left in the Roads 61

Capture of Brussels. 62

The Burgomaster's Appeal 62

The War Indemnity 63

Description of Occupation of Brussels 63

Jap 's Move on China 65

Jap Cruisers Scour the Sea 66

Defenses Reinforced QQ

Swiss Army Mobilized 67

Americans in Distress 68

War as Seen From Holland 69

Russian Advance Into Germany 70

Aircraft Episodes 72

Watching for Air Messages r 74

■ Victories of Servian Troops 75

Auto Dash for the Frontier 76

The German Advance 78

The Russian Situation. 80

CONTENTS V

PAGE

An Enigma to War Experts 82

The Crash of Numbers 83

Two Million Men in Death- Grapple 85

The Vast Battle Line 86

The Franco-British Armies Beaten Back 87

The Fall of Namur 88

Allies Ketirement Explained 89

Scenes of War at Charleroi 89

Wounded Fill the Town 89

French Open the Canonading 90

Smashing an Aeroplane 91

Vast Movement on to Paris 92

German Dispatch : " Joffre's Army Broken Up." 92

The Kussian Invasion 93

Suffering Throughout Belgium 94

Boy Scouts Mobilized 95

Book II Causes And Consequences Of The Geeat War

Opinions op the Most Noted Leaders

A Graphic Vision 97

Comments of Christian Leaders 98

The Question. Poem . . , 100

View Point of Americans , 101

French Views of Causes 104

Views of Socialism 105

Can It Be ? Poem 107

German Ofificial Statements Ill

Opening the Eyes of the World 112

Reasoning From the Turkish Revolution 112

Austria Against Servia 113

Germany Also Menaced 114

Demands of Austria 115

War Against the Uncultured ; 116

Russian Statement Considered 117

Die Deutsche Panzerf aust. Poem in German 118

Statement of the Imperial Chancellor. 118 yi CONTENTS

PAGE

Obligations Discovered 119

"William II, Prince of Peace. Viereck's Poem 122

An Appeal to Sweden for Germany 123

The Jewish View 124

Imperialism and Democracy. A Definition 126

The Only Peace. Poem 127

Smashing the Machinery of Civilization

The Staggering Blow 129

Has Christianity Failed 130

Opinions of American Scholarship 133

The Right to Bloody Violence 135

The Call to the Colors. Poem 136

Living in the Time of a Great War 136

The Vast Sacrifice 137

Neutrality of the United States

The President's Appeal for Neutrality 140

Americans of Many Nations 141

Must Be Neutral in Thought and Action 142

Diplomatic Documents Leading Up to War

First Events 143

Note to the Servians 144

Austria's Circular Note 146

Servia's Reply 148

Servia's Reply Denounced by Austria 152

Russian Statement 153

German Emperor's Reply to the Czar 154

Germany's Sharp Note 154

Russian Proclamation 155

Russian Promise to Holland 156

Japan's Ultimatum 156

Japan 's Promise to America 159

English Statement 159

Kitchener's Instructions to Soldiers 160

England 's Praise to Belgium 161

French Pledge to Restore Belgium 161

CONTENTS vii

PAGE

The Great Test of American Diplomacy

America Surrounded by War 163

Stability of American Government 164

Cost of the War 164

What is Costs to Kill a Man 165

The Red Cross Nurse. Poem 167

Switzerland as a War Hospital 167

America 's Part 168

Dogs for the Red Cross 169

That Graves May Not Be Nameless 170

Rank and File. Dobson 's Poem 170

Stupendous Work of Army Surgeons 170

A Belgian Surgeon's Researches 171

Fatal Wounds From Artillery 173

Those Who Corner the Food Markets 177

President Acts to Restrain Rise in Prices 178

American Construction Contrasted With European Destruction 179

Latin American Trade 183

Direct Steamship Lines 184

Aggressive Action Fair in Trade 185

On the Pacific Coast 186

Undoubted Opportunity 187

American Shipping Bill o 188

Military Strategy 190

Fortifications 192

The Concert of Europe 193

How the Great Alliances Were Formed 194

The Triple Alliance 194

The Triple Entente 195

International Arbitration 197

War Songs of the Nations 197 viii CONTENTS

Book III Means And Sources Of The Great War

PAGE

The Merciless Machinery

Contrasts in the Vision of Heroism 201

Contrasts in Methods and Means 202

Role Played in the Tragedy by Electricity 203

Commands Flashed Across Space 205

Half-Ton Missiles Hurled Seven Miles 207

Cement Forts and Disappearing Gmis 209

The Army of Mercy 211

Submarines 212

Mines in the Present "War 218

Wireless in the Present War 221

Wireless in the Balkan War 224

Portable Wireless in the Field 225

Automobiles in War 226

Airships in War 227

American Devices 228

The Poet's Dream. Tennyson 234

Zeppelin 's Airships 235

War Strength of the Triple Alliance 237

War Strength of the Triple Entente 238

The Age-Long Conflict Between France and Germany

The Ancient Beginning 240

Conflict of a Thousand Years Ago 241

The Weaker Inheritance . 242

Alsace and Lorraine in Every War 243

Metz and Strassburg in Sieges 246

Bismarck 's Idea 247

The ''Zabern Affair," 248

Declaration of the Rights of Man 249

Rival Armaments 251

How Paris Is Defended 253

Three Families and Their Cost to Europe 255

The Start of a Bitter Feud 257

CONTENTS

IX

PAGE

Hapsburg Tragedies 258

HohenzoUern Chronicles 281

Reluctant to Rule Over the Russias 264

Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia 266

Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria .^ 266

William II, Emperor of Germany -^-^ 267

King Albert of Belgium at the Front 268

Sentry Refuses the King Admittance to Hospital 269

George V, King of Great Britain 271

English Kinship Among Royalty of Europe 272

Mohammedan or Christian 273

Geographical Description of War-Torn Towns 277

The Kingdom of Servia 290

The Austro-Hungarian Empire 292

Belgium 293

The Belgian People 294

The French Republic 298

The German Empire 303

Resources of Germany in 1913 304

The Hohenzollerns 307

The Russian Empire 307

Holland 309

The Hague 311

Colonies of the Warring Nations 312

American Prosperity and the War 315

The Belgian Protest Against Airship Bombs 316

THE DELUGE

As one who dreams a dreadful dream and moans in fitful sleep, Columbia broods in anguish o'er the hell across the deep, And, clear-eyed, save for futile tears, she sees great nations sink With all their brains and manhood under Reason 's level brink. She sees long years of kindness taken from the human race And every line of gospel flung into its writer's face.

The war lords snap their fingers and with their insane commands Brave millions offer up their lives and march to hostile lands. Among the stars the great god Mars, white hot to thrust and kill, Is sneering at the tiny ants who crawl to do his will. The teachings of the Nazarene, the dreams great souls have told Are trampled 'neath the charger's hoof and sacrificed for Gold.

The peasant in his lowly home sits white-faced and forlorn To wait the marching thousands with their selfishness and scorn. To-day he has his little all — his home, his field, his wife ; To-morrow, when the storm has passed, he will not have his life ; Or if, perchance, his life be spared for later ghastly scenes. Among the ruins he will sit and wonder what God means.

Gone all of our illusions and the dreams of peace we wrought, Forgotten all the lessons that the blood-smeared sword has taught. The grim retreat from Moscow when Napoleon's legions died, The awful field of Austerlitz and Jena 's crimson tide ; The gentler, nobler part of man and all that knowledge brings Are banished from the Present to appease the lust of kings.

Afar we hear the charger's scream, the slim boy's dying moan, As on the red and ravaged field he sobs to God alone; Afar we see the plodding hosts go blindly to their fate Like dumb and willing cattle driven through a country gate. As one who dreams a dreadful dream and moans in fitful sleep Columbia broods in anguish o'er the hell across the deep

— William F. Kirk. 10